UNDERSTAND. (On going)

Chapter V // Debut.

Five years later.

Max made his debut in Formula 1. He's skipped Formula 2 since many were impressed by his performance in Formula 3. Having forgotten most of his time in karting and Formula 4 and 3, he was just happy to be there.

He's been desensitized ever since losing Charles as his rival. Him and Charles were separated due to the fact that Max was quicker in development– making Charles fall behind.

Him and Charles tried to stay in contact, but they both were very busy. Sometimes they'd meet each other were they both had a race but it was like every blue moon. So as time went on, they lost contact.

Charles and Max changed their phones, losing each others numbers. None of them were active on social media. So there was really no way of contact.

Charles was a bummed out that him and Mac wouldn't be together anymore, but he moved on, well as he thought, after 3 years.

Max on the other hand, never moved on. Always had Charles on his mind. He missed his Charlie. He kept remembering the times Charles comforted him and helped him through his dad's abuse.

Max became a very cold person. Not the same Maxie without Charlie. Max was very desensitized to everything and everyone. He couldn't keep up normal conversations, he would just reply with 1 or 2 words– a whole sentence if the person he's talking to is lucky.

Jos was still keeping up the abuse. Verbally and physically. Though, Max did out do his standards. When Max crashed back in Formula 4, he said that Max would never be in Formula 1, let alone be on the podium. But he made it, at just 17 years old.

Max usually wore long sleeves and long jeans at this time to hide his scars. Luckily fire proofs and the racing suits are somewhat like that.

During the Grand Prixs, all he could think about is racing against Charles again. He didn't do his best in most of the Grand Prixs he entered, a few podiums here and there but no wins. Yet.

When Max gets home from every Grand Prix, he showers then just use his phone for a long time. He doesn't check social media, he doesn't make any calls, he doesn't text anyone. He just looks at the photos of him with his Charlie.

His lock screen wallpaper is the photo Charles' mom took on the plane to Monaco. It was him and Charles, sleeping while leaning into each other. It was the first of many photos of him and Charles.

His home screen wallpaper is a photo with him and Charles, on podium at P1 and P2. It was the race after they had their first kiss.

Max also has 2 folders full. 1 for pictures of him and Charles, and the other for just Charles. Each folder had at least 500 photos in them. Max liked to look at those photos when he's feeling a bit down.

Back in the day, Charles used to love making necklaces. He made one for Max. The string was red and blue and there was a locket with MV&CL in graved into it. If you open the locket, it was a photo of Charles and Max hugging after a race.

Max wore it everywhere but sadly he couldn't use jewelry during races. It was like his good luck charm. Every time he wore it, he actually had good luck.

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Charles just reached Formula 2. He's trying to do his best so he could potentially go into Formula 1. He misses his rival.

Charles was very determined and focused in his career now. He just heard the news that Max has made it into Formula 1. Now as he thought he moved on, he keeps thinking about Max again.

Does he still remember me? Does he still love me? What if he forgot everything we did together? What if he forgot the kiss? Charles thought to himself.

Charles was thinking all sorts of thoughts, and all of them were about Max. This actually caused him to do better in racing.

Charles is now actively looking at photos with him and Max in it. He made a certain photo his lock screen– it was the one on the plane. Of course it is.

Charles couldn't move on for the second time. He was determined to win Max back. He was determined to get his Maxie back.

Charles then remembered, he had a necklace that he and Max made when they were little. It was the same as Max's necklace. Charles remembered wearing it a lot, but took it off because he really wanted to move on from Max.

((kinda filler chapter, just wanted smth to be out! lmfao very busy with a lot of stuff rn, pls be patient))