APPETENCE | c. leclerc & m. verstappen [+18]

06. night out

"if we burn, we burn together."
♪ we can't be friends by ariana grande

A night out was all Max needed after the last three testing days. The testings were good, better than expected, but he still wasn't happy at all. He was overthinking about the new season, he felt like he needed to prove himself to the fans. Like he needed to prove this season that he deserved to be a world champion. Normally these thoughts didn't get to his mind, he didn't care about what other people thought about him but something changed that night in Abu Dhabi. It was pathetic, that's all that Max said to himself many times in the last months. He needed to focus on the new season and not overthink this whole situation.

Max wasn't sure why he suddenly cared about other peoples opinion. He didn't know with who he should talk about this, he wasn't good in opening up to other people. Ever since he joined Formula One people didn't like him, he didn't care. So why did he care now? He had no answer to that.

"Max, are you coming? Martin is already at the DJ table.", Lando said as he saw Max standing at the VIP entrance of the club. Max looked up to Lando, he didn't notice that he was already standing there. "Yes, let's go.", Max said with a small smile on his face. Lando was one of his best friends on the grid, it was easy to talk to him. They shared many interest and hobbies. He was glad to have Lando in his life, they always had fun together. Maybe he could talk to Lando about the thoughts and feelings he was struggling at the moment.

As they both headed into the club, the loud music and the neon lights surrounded them quickly. Lando grabbed Max wrist and and pulled him in the direction of their table. There was already alcohol on the table, Max looked around and saw Pierre and Daniel already sitting at the table and talking.

He greeted both drivers and sat down beside Daniel. "Hey Maxy, everything good?", Daniel asked and smiled at him. Max had a hard time hearing him over the loud music but he smiled back. "Yes, what about you? We didn't talk all week. How was your testing?", Daniel only shrugged his shoulders. "It was okay, not the best.", Daniel replied, his smile disappeared from his face for a second. "But let us not think about work tonight, Maxy.", Max nodded with a big smile on his face. This was probably for the best but he also noted in his mind that he needed to check on Daniel more often as his time at Mclaren wasn't going as well as he thought it would. But tonight they didn't talk about it, it was a subject for a different time.

A couple hours later Max had a few drinks already, he had a fun time with the three drivers. "I have a fun idea, we could-", Lando screamed over the table and looked at his friends with a giant grin on his face. "No, your ideas are always either deadly or dumb. Or both at the same time.", Pierre complained in front of him but the British driver just ignored him. "Whatever. Listen, we could play Truth or Dare.", he announced happily and waited for their reaction. "Come on, Lando. We are not 12 anymore.", Daniel laughed as he gulped another sip of his beer. "No, come on, it is fun. Or are you scared, Riccardo?", the Australian driver stopped laughing and glanced at Lando. "Oh, so you are serious?", Max just shook his head in disbelief. Why was he even friends with them? They were acting like kids.

"Let's do it, come on.", Lando glanced over at Max and gave him a high five. Okay, maybe he was a kid too. Max laughed about Lando's excitement, he was way to excited for this game.

After a few rounds and also more alcohol, everyone at the table was completely wasted. They couldn't deny it anymore. They were still laughing about Lando's failed attempt at dancing with a girl on the dancefloor. He had no sense of rhythm in his body anymore, he was just to wasted to get it right. "Shut up, it's my turn now.", was all he said when he came back to the table. He took the empty bottle and started spinning it on the table. "You wanted to play this game.", the French driver beside him laughed as he saw Lando's annoyed face looking at him. "Fuck off, Gasly.", Max laughed at both of them and didn't notice that the bottle already stopped. "Truth or Dare, Max?", Lando asked loudly, Max glanced down at the bottle and back to the British driver in front of him. "Truth.", he answered without thinking about it, he couldn't even think straight, even if he tried.