Anti-hero ~ Max Verstappen

33

It was six in the morning and I had already had time to take a shower and get dressed to have a run around the circuit before it gets packed.

I was finishing tying my shoelaces when there was a knock on my bedroom door. I got up to open it and saw Marie on the other side.

-How did you sleep?- she asked getting inside.

-I didn't, I took like a two hour nap after dinner yesterday but I kept up all night, I couldn't sleep.- I took a jacket and tied it around my waist in case I got cold when I came back.

-I told you it was not a good idea to go to Europe before Abu Dhabi.

And it wasn't. I had finally gotten over the jet lag after Austin and Brazil but they needed me at Silverstone. So here I am, one day before the race and unable to sleep more than two hours when I was suppose to.

-And I already told you that I had to go to the factory, I'll take a nap before going to the circuit.- at least this was a night race, it leaves me enough time to try to get some sleep before I have to get in the car.

-You have a couple of interviews before free practice, you'll have to go earlier than planned.

-Can't I reschedule them to tomorrow?- I ask finishing making gathering my head into a ponytail and keeping my room card on a pocket in my sport shorts.

-It's Netflix, you've been rescheduling them all season, you'll have to do it, I'll try to make it fast.- I groan, she is right I have already reschedule my Netflix interview like three times already but I really don't want them to interview me.

-See you at breakfast? I'll be back in an hour.

-Who are you going with?

-Max.- He's probably still asleep but I know if I go and ask him he'll be ready to come with me in less than five minutes.

-Avery.

-What now?- I blurted- I can't sleep with him, I can't travel with him, you don't put me in interviews with him or let me go out alone with him in public on a fucking date. Why can't I go running with him? It's early, almost no people will see us, I've gone running with Carlos, Lando, Charles, Fernando, even Lewis during the season, what does it matter if they see me with Max now?

-Just one more race Avery, you already know once the season is over it will be different.- she tries to reason with me.

-That's what they say but do you really believe it? What will change from one day to the next? Absolutely nothing. They're just waiting to see who wins.

They want to see if he wins so they can say that even in a relationship with me he is still the best.

-They are waiting to see if you can win. Do you think you could?

-I think that I am not going to get discouraged no matter how much they try to distract me, but they are not making it easy for me either.

-Go for the run alone Avery, focus, meditate and prepare for this afternoon.

And that's what I did, I did my run around the circuit, I had breakfast with Marie as promised, I went to the gym, had lunch with my father and even managed to get a quick nap before having to return to the circuit.

I sat uncomfortably in the chair while the cameraman and crew finished preparing the equipment for the interview.

-You're the last one to have your personal interview with us, busy schedule?- Mark, I believe his name was, said before the camera was rolling, he was going to be in charge of the interview.

-You cant even imagine it. Not that this is my favorite part of my job either, no offense.- he laughed and brushed it off.

-It's understandable. Look, it's very simple, the producers have prepared some questions, they have already been reviewed and accepted by your team. We'll talk a bit about the season and then move on to the more personal questions if that's okay with you.- he explained.