The calm before the storm - Max Verstappen x Charles Leclerc

29

I woke up in the morning in a room that was not my own. My eyes were blurry and my arm hurt. The only thing I remembered from yesterday was Charles triggering memories but after that I don't remember anything. I slowly sat up and tried to remember what had happened. I saw that my phone was on the table next to me so I checked my notifications.

NOTICES

Charles:

36 missed calls

please reply FrancescaI 

need to know you're okay

Lando told me everything im so so sorry

lando:

23 missed calls

Are you okay?

Answer so I know you're alive

Daniel:

5 missed calls

Charles told me he can't find you

Where are you?

"damn it" I muttered to myself. When I tried to think about what had happened, everything was black. I felt my stomach start to bubble and realized I needed to run to the bathroom before I threw up in bed. The second I leaned over the toilet my whole stomach gave out. How much did I really drink yesterday? I heard someone come into the bathroom with me but I couldn't turn to check who it was. "how are you" was all I heard before the person behind me held my hair back. I turned to check who it whos ive slept in. Max.

"what does it look like" I said to him before round two came up. he did not respond to my comment but continued to hold my hair back. I don't know how long we sat there in silence but after a while I felt better so I went back to bed. "do you want something to eat" he asked. "yes thank you" he chose to order food so he didn't have to cook

"you should write to everyone and say you're alive" said Max and checked the mobile phone that was still on the table. "can't say I was here, you understand"

"you don't have to say where you've slept but say you're alive" Max said and gave an annoyed grin. I knew he was right so I just sighed and chose to write to Lando first.

lando:Answer so I know you're alive

Francesca:Im alive. We can talk later

lando:Where are you?

Charles:Lando told me everything so sorry

Francesca:Im alive

Daniel:Where are you?

Francesca:Don't want to say but I'm okay.

I heard a knock on the door and saw Max disappear to open it. I tried to listen who it was but realized pretty quickly that it was our food that had arrived. Before I could get up to go upstairs, he came back. "I ordered Thai for you, hope it works" he said when he gave me my food. I couldn't bear to answer but nodded in response.

We ate in silence because I thought about how he had been behaving the last few weeks and Max was probably too scared to talk. "Can you tell me what happened yesterday" I said to break the silence. He looked at me as if I had seen a ghost. "do you really want to know"

I nodded and saw that he was having trouble forming his first sentence. "I thought you were going to die yesterday" was the only thing that came out. I was completely shocked by his sentence. Before I asked him what he meant, he continued talking. I sat quietly the whole time he explained. I started to have some faint memories while he was talking and looked down at my arm which was completely covered in bandages and stuff.

"You don't want to look at it" he said when he understood what I was thinking. "Why did you help me" I asked, looking up at him. "not going to let you die in my hotel room, it would have been hard to explain". His words made me realize how serious it must have been yesterday. I sat in silence trying to think of what to do now.

"I have to go" was the only thing I managed to say after many minutes of silence. I went out to the hall and put on my shoes and before Max could protest I closed the door behind me. I walked around the corridor for a while before choosing to go to my brother.

"Frankie what are you doing here" Simon asked as he opened the door. He saw how I felt and let me in right away without asking anything more. We sat down on the sofa and just looked at each other. "what happened Francesca, Lando asked if you slept with me last night"

I took a few deep breaths before I started to tell you what Max told me an hour ago. He became more and more worried the more I told him. "why didn't you come here yesterday" was all he could get out. I didn't know why I wrote to him. "I was probably afraid that you would judge yourself"

I saw that what I said hurt him. "You know I would never judge you, especially not when I know what happened before." Simon had helped me after our mother passed away. He was the one who always made sure I came home and refused to sleep if I hadn't. Several times he went out in the middle of the night to look for me. "sorry didn't want to worry you" I said with shame in my eyes. He shed a tear and held me.

We were sitting and holding each other when there was a knock on the door. I felt panic in my body because I didn't want to talk to any of the other drivers. "hide in the bedroom" Simon whispered and went towards the door. I did as he said and went to the bedroom. "Is Francesca here" I recognized the voice and chose to go out to show that I was okay. "You have no idea how worried I've been Frankie" Lando said and gave me a gentle hug. "don't tell anyone I'm here okay" I said as we let go of each other. he promised not to tell anyone. And with anyone meant Charles.

He explained that he had lost me when I ran away and that he scolded Charles so he didn't hear when I called and he got a lump in his stomach when I didn't answer. I tried to tell you everything that had happened without telling me who helped me. "I'm just glad you're okay" Lando said and gave me another hug.

"Are you going to the next Grand Prix" asked Simon. "no, I want to go home to England and visit my mother". Both of them understood what I meant by that and asked no more about it. "Lando can you get my things from Charles and leave them here" I asked without looking up at him. "absolutely, I'll be there in ten minutes" said Lando and left immediately.

"where are you going to sleep if you're going to England" I knew I wasn't welcome at dad's and Simon was worried that something would happen when I was alone. "I can book a hotel or something" I said nonchalantly, which clearly Simon didn't like. "you can stay there for two weeks because then it's the Silverstone grand prix and after that you can come with me" I nodded in response which gave Simon a smile on his face.

"Is Francesca here" I heard it was Charles' voice. "no it's me who asked Lando to pick up her things so I can leave them with her later" explained Simon but in a calm voice. I didn't hear what else they said to each other and it was quiet for a little too long, but I didn't dare go and check what happened. I couldn't bear to see his face right now.

I heard footsteps coming towards the bedroom and I stopped breathing until I saw who it was that entered. It was Lando and Simon. They explained that Charles had not believed them but left after a while. "Would you be able to drive me to the airport" I asked when I saw that all my things were still there. "absolutely and I promise we won't drive fast for your sake". Half an hour later we were in the car to the nearest airport and as they promised, they drove slowly so as not to trigger me.

I said goodbye to Lando and Simon and got on the plane to London. It was nice to get away from Formula 1 for a while but would miss seeing my brother get better on the spot. When the plane started to fly, I fell asleep immediately and slept almost the entire trip.