Elastic Heart // Charles Leclerc

XII

It's been two hours since the plane took off. I had slept for about an hour and when I woke up, I saw that Charles was still asleep. I woke up because of the pain I was feeling in my hand. I grab some paracetamol from my bag and push the call button for the flight attendant to ask for some water to take the pills with. My hand is still a bit swollen, and I can't bend my fingers normally yet.

I just hope that in two weeks I can use my hand again and drive the car normal. Not that I am complaining with my fifth place, I just think I could've done more this weekend.

Charles slowly woke up beside me. ''When did you wake up?'' he asks. I smile at him and put my water bottle down.

''Not so long ago'' I say. The silence that follows, wasn't an awkward silence. It was a comfortable one. And as the minutes pass by, I can feel his hand slowly intertwining with mine.

''I want to play a game.'' He says out of the blue. I look at him with raised eyebrows and a smirk on my face.

''What kind of game?'' I ask him curious, closing the book I was reading.

''Well, you mentioned that you wanted to get to know each other better'' he says wiggling his eyebrows. '' So, let's play twenty-one questions'' He grins at me. The laugh I was holding escapes my mouth. I let go of his hand and put it over my mouth, trying to stop my laughing.

''Are you laughing at me'' he says turning his body to me to look at me.

''What are we? Twelve?'' I give him a grin.

''Why should we behave like adults if we don't have to?'' He smiles. ''Okay, fine'' I smile back and turn my body away form him.

''So, are you going to ask me anything?'' he says.

''It was your idea, why should I be the one asking the first question?'' I say.

He raises his eyebrow and makes a weird face. It takes him longer than I thought it would to ask me a question.

''what do you do.'' He finally asks. I look confused at him. I know what he means, but I can't say what I do. So, I must come up with something else. But what, I never really thought about what I wanted to do if I didn't go into the racing sport. Because for my whole life, that the only thing I know.

''What do you mean?'' I ask.

''Well, are you in school, do you work?'' He asks. I need to come up with something that will explain why I can be at every race. because I can't be at every race if I'm in school, so I can't say that.

''I work as Charlie's assistant right now'' I say. It's the only thing I could think about without making him question things even further.

''Oh, that's cool.'' He says nodding his head. If only he knew.

''Do you have any siblings?''

''I got two brothers, one older, one younger.'' He smiles.

The questions went back and forth for another hour. The rest of the plane ride I spent sleeping or reading my book. We landed at Dionysios Solomos in Zakynthos. When we got off and got our bags, we walked outside to get a taxi to the hotel.

-

''So, I got us both our own room'' Charles says looking at me. I'm glad he did, and that he didn't assume that we would sleep in the same room. He gives me my room card and we both walk up to the elevator. Apparently, there are three rooms between ours, not that it matters. We both walk to our room to get changed.