Turbulence [𝗠.𝗩.]

Emilia Romagna, Cancelled Race

Sorry for the fans that this weekend's race has been cancelled but the safety of everyone involved has to come first. - @GeorgeRussell63

Please, anything you can do to help is appreciated, no matter how big or small the donation is! - @yukitsunoda07

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ENGLAND

EMILIA ROMAGNA

6TH RACE OF THE SEASON

MAY

The smell of a full English breakfast being cooked at the back of the small cafe reaches my nose, teasing me with how tempting it is. I could murder for one right about now. Eating salads, nuts, fish and other meals on repeat is starting to really get on my nerves. It always does about this time of year.

A fresh hissing rings out as something - it smells like bacon - hits a pan in the kitchen area.

I look down at my plate. Salad. Sweet potatoes. Boring.

"Well, that's that then." James announces, opposite me, as he places his phone down on the table. "Race is officially cancelled."

"Took them long enough." The words fly out of my mouth too easily.

"It should've been called off the second the rivers burst their banks." Cassandra adds, shrugging as she stares at her own boring meal that's a mirror of mine.

We're hardly making bold statements here. The flooding is awful. Nobody wants to see sporting events going on whilst they're losing their homes to nature's wrath.

James swirls his mug of coffee, sparing a glance for Liam, who's on my right - his left - as if he'll silently convince Liam to back him up. "Not up to us, is it?"

Liam doesn't say anything, sipping at his own coffee with a shrug. There's nothing we can say because it's a shit situation all around. I keep picking at my lunch with my fork, feeling the silence once again descend upon our table, whilst the world carries on around us.

With a sigh, James leans forward, his elbows on the table. "I was thinking, since we have the weekend cleared out, why don't we head out to Monaco early and make it a weekend off? If our teams let us, of course."

"We could walk the circuit, refresh our minds." I know James said it would be a break from racing, but my mind can't stop thinking about it. Working when I'm stressed or feeling not quite mentally secure keeps me grounded. "Qualifying is gonna determine everything there."

My suggestion doesn't get challenged. We'd still have plenty of time to relax and enjoy ourselves. Liam has another thoughtful expression. I can see him mulling over the chance to get a little refresher in, and to do it at our own pace, before he finally nods.

"Yeah, we should do that if they'll let us. Pretty much a Sunday drive, that one. A nice Sunday drive, but not a race."

"It's nuts." James puts his cup down. "The cars get bigger and bigger, but that track can't change with them. I'll be lucky if I don't put it in the wall like Mick did."

"We'll all be lucky if we don't do that." I'm not that hopeful about my chances with Monaco. I've hit the wall before. You don't recover from hitting the wall in Monaco. The steel is unforgiving, it will give back whatever you throw at it. Even the best drivers have smashed up their cars on those streets.

"Nah-uh, just you three. I've managed to survive Monaco without a crash yet." Cassandra smirks, and I don't have an answer. She's not wrong. Last year, she kicked me off P1 with a beautiful overtake at Tabac.

"Y'know, we could always ask Charles to put us up." James isn't serious... is he? I look up from my plate to see a wicked grin on his face and joy in his deep blue eyes. He's got to be joking. There wouldn't be any chance of Charles frigging Leclerc putting up with us hanging around at whatever fancy place he has.

I open my mouth to tell him that he'll have more luck if he asks Max to slow down, when my phone buzzes. I pick it up from the table, where it's been sitting all this time, and have to suppress the urge to roll my eyes.

DannyBoy;
Dinner @ this place tonight? Max is paying!

"Who is it?" Liam's curious, and as I look at James, I can see he is too. They're both craning their necks to get a look at my phone's screen. Cassandra isn't being anywhere near as nosy as the guys; she's given it a sly glance, but nothing else.

"Ricciardo." I say, firing off a quick What time? to Daniel. "He wants to meet up later."

DannyBoy;
6. Try to wear something other than black ;)

"Oo-oooh!" James sing-songs, making me flush with embarrassment. "You two going on a date?"

"Shut it!" I reach over the table to swat at James; he only has to lean back and laugh at me some more. Git. I fire off a bruh its not a date to Daniel.

DannyBoy;

Not yet ;)))

"You shut up as well!" I point a finger accusingly at Liam, who is bent over, laughing at me. I know this is going to become gossip in the paddock next weekend, which means I'll have George teasing me again, or worse: Fernando. He keeps taking some kind of joy in putting me on the spot in front of others.

"I didn't say anythin'!" Liam puts his hands up, but he's still laughing his arse off at me.

"Danny and Jess, sitting in a tree..." James starts half-singing, only to descend into another fit of laughter as I glare at him. It doesn't do anything but continue to encourage him, so I decide I'm going to get even.

"I'll tell Liam about the time you tried asking Cassandra out on a date."

His face drops instantly. I've got him. "You wouldn't."

"Oh, I would." It's my turn to have the wicked smirk. It's a story I hold over his head for moments like this. It's one of the few times James has ever made a complete tit of himself.

"It is one of my favourite stories to tell..." Cassandra matches my expression, wiggling her brows at James.

Liam's no longer laughing, now heavily invested in the idea of a juicy story I have about James. While we stare at each other, Liam's leaning forward, waiting for one of us to break the silence.

"I'll tell Liam about your teenage crush." James has a glint in his eyes, thinking he's got me with that one.

"Nice try." That one isn't going to work anymore. I look to Liam, not even ashamed of what I'm going to say. "Mark Webber."

"Can'tdo it to me either: Sebastian Vettel." Cassandra and I share a fist bump asJames' face drops. He's lost this one, and he knows it.