Anti-hero ~ Max Verstappen

9

So far Australia has been an interesting experience. Aside from the fact that I almost hit a bird in FP3 the weekend had started off pretty well. I had a good pace and my goal was to fight for pole position.

My engineer gives me the rundown times to expect in each part of qualifying, I memorize each corner in which I have to be careful and in which parts of the circuit I can risk more.

I get inside the car waiting for the signal to leave. I check that the radio is fine, I squeeze the steering wheel well between my hands. Let's get this.

The car comes out, the first lap is good, enough to go into Q2 without problems but we decided to make sure, doing another lap on used tires so that he can have more control of the track on the next laps.

-P4 Stroll, let's do better on Q2.- I hear Gabriel on the radio.

P1 in Q2. Every second waiting for them to take me out for my last lap seems like an eternity.

I take every corner to the limit, every straight at full speed and I don't run into any traffic. It has been the perfect lap.

-Position?- It has been even better than my previous lap. It has to be pole.

-P2 Stroll, P2. Front row tomorrow. Congratulations.

-What? Who has taken the pole?

-Lewis. He has flown in the last sector.

Finally getting to my room, it was already night and tomorrow I would have an early morning to prepare for the race so I was looking forward to going to sleep.

I enter the elevator and press the button for my floor, placing myself at the end, leaning against the wall, waiting for it to start going up.

When the doors start to close and I think it's going to start to move someone sticks their arm between the doors, entering at the last moment

-Can we talk?- an out of breath Verstappen said when he managed to get in.

-I don't know, are you going to turn my team against me again if I say no?- I might have been too harsh on him, he must be coming to apologize.

But I don't like that he took advantage of the moment when I had nowhere to escape. I don't like it a bit.

-Avery come on, it's been eight years.- he tried to touch my arm but I took a step back.

And it has taken him eight years to come close to "talking" about what happened.

I see how he makes a fist and drops his arm, not trying again to touch me.

-I don't care how much time has passed. Do you know how it hurt? How stupid you made me feel?

I still remember the feeling when I got out of the car. The journey back home. How every unanswered message hurt.

-Of course I know, it hurt me too.

I laugh at this just when the elevator reached my floor. I got out and he followed me through the corridor.

-I don't believe you. Forgive me for bothering me that the only time I really trusted someone, they used me.

The worst thing is that I defended him, not believing him capable of doing something like that. Of course, defending him until it was inevitable to see the reality.

-That was not what happened, you dont understand!

Oh believe me. I had enough time to think about what happened. I understand everything.

-You went on with your life without looking back but I stayed there. I thought you cared about me.

I finally reach my room and open the door. When I was about to shut the door on his face he put his foot inside to stop it. Entering behind me.

-Don't say that Ave, don't say it as if I didn't care. Of course I cared about you.

I can't help but let out a sour laugh. I turn to look at him, he looks at me with worried eyes but I don't buy it.

-Tell me the truth, do you regret anything that happened?

There is a glint of guilt in his eyes. I already know the answer.

-Avery...

I took a step closer to him, standing just infront of him with crossed arms. Trying to take as much space as posible. Trying to look confident infront of him.

-Tell me.- I repeat again.

-I am world champion, Avery. You know that was my dream.

His arm tried to reach me but I took a step back, not wanting him to touch me.

-It was mine too. I never would have done that to you to get it faster.

He didnt even waste a second before answering.

-Maybe that's why you're not a champion yet.- I could see in his face that he regretted the moment the words came out of his mouth. But it was already too late, he had already said them.

It took me a second to process that he had actually said that. Fed up with all this I go to the door and open it.

-You're still the same selfish boy as when you were seventeen. I should have known you wouldn't change.

-I did not mean it like that...

I push him towards the door, not wanting to hear another word come out of his mouth.

-Go away Verstappen! Go with your trophies, they will be the only ones that can put up with you.

I kick him out of my room and close the door in his face. I then lean my forehead against it to take a deep breath.

Avery you're over this, don't let it hurt twice. You are stronger than this.

Who am I kidding, the jerk knows how to get into my head.