Pole position // Charles Leclerc

67

Mias POV:
'Is this meant to be a ball? It doesn't really feel like a ball.' I complained to Lando, the pressure of the press being absolutely everywhere starting to freak me out.

'It used to be fun. And now it's just an event where they watch every single one of our interactions and end the night by writing a million articles about how we all hate eachother.' He explained, taking a shot.

'I hate it.'

'Me too, but we've found ways to make it fun.' He shrugged.

'Of course you have. I've seen The stupid stories they write about you every year.' I laughed.

'Is he telling you about the fake fights he puts on every single year?' Max laughed, joining us with a beer in his hand.

'You're no better. Do they ever find out it's all a joke or do they really think so much goes down every single time?' I asked.

'I'm not sure. Either way they're too embarrassed to admit it. We all got sat down by our teams this year though, told not to give them anything too good to gossip about.' He rolled his eyes.

'I don't blame them. You're on thin ice.' I laughed.

Pierre walked over to us with Alex and my heart sped up massively. He was coming over to talk to Lando, and greeted me with a polite hello. Yet, the second he did, I felt eyes on me.

A few news groups began to get closer, and I heard the shutters of a dozen cameras get louder.

'I'm gonna go sit down.' I mumbled, giving Lando's hand a squeeze before making my way over to the bar, asking for a water.

'Hey, are you okay?' Lewis asked, coming to take a seat besides me at the bar.

Charles had been taking on all of the press conversations, as he knew they'd made me anxious. Thankfully I'd not received many questions, and the ones I did get were nothing to do with my old relationship.

'Yeah. I really don't feel good.' I responded, swirling the glass of water in my hand around a little.

'How come?'

'I think the stress has caught up with me. How long left?' I asked, looking at his watch.

'A few hours. I can take you back if you want? Charles is pretty caught up for the next hour but I'll drop you?' He asked.

'No I can get a taxi it's okay.' I smiled softly.

'Okay, I'll call it for you, let me know if you need anything else.' He smiled, squeezing my shoulder and heading off in the direction of Lando.

I pinpointed Charles in the crowd and headed over to him, catching him at a quiet moment, nobody begging to speak to him.

'You don't look too good. Do you want me to take you back to the hotel?' Charles asked, taking both of my hands and kissing them individually.

'Lewis has called me a taxi. You're busy.' I insisted.

'No. Let me come with you.' He said sternly.

'Charles, are you free for a few moments? BBC would like to speak with you.' A woman asked from besides us, proving my point.

'Mia. Fuck, okay, I'll be back in a couple of hours and then I promise I'll be there to take care of you.' He said, reassuringly giving me multiple kisses on both my forehead and my lips.

'I love you lots.' I said, flashing him a weak smile.

He hesitated to let go of my hand, so ready to turn and leave with me but he wasn't allowed. This was a big event. The only one the drivers couldn't skip.

Before he even had time to tell me he loved me back he had a camera shoved in his face. And I could tell he regretted not saying it fast enough.

I made my way past the front door, only hearing the camera's click a few times as the majority of the paparazzi who weren't allowed inside had now gone home. The taxi was ready and waiting, and so I got into the back, making polite conversation with the driver before we headed off.

'Early night for you?' He asked, looking into the back and giving me a polite smile.

He wasn't old, maybe 40? But he had a kind face and I didn't feel threatened. The boys never let me get taxi's and it was almost a rule that I was always driven around by one of their drivers.

'Yes, who's driver are you?' I asked, smiling at the realisation that Lewis hadn't called me a taxi.

'George's. Lewis said you'd recognise his.' He chuckled.

'I would. He's right.' I laughed.

'Well, I'm sorry I had you out this late. I would've gotten a taxi.' I added.

'No, honestly, it's my pleasure.' He responded.

I was looking down at my phone for less than a second when I felt the car jolt forwards. He'd slammed on the breaks. We were now still, and I heard him mumble under his breath, about the driver who had pulled out on him.

'Are you okay?' I asked him, leaning forwards and putting my hand on the back of his seat.

I could see it had startled him, and that's why it took a few moments for him to start the car back up again.

He turned to look at me, beginning to apologise, when a look of shock took over his face, he held out his hands and I could barely turn in time to see the truck hurtling towards us, unable to stop in time before it smashed into the back of the car.

Within seconds the car we were in had been reduced to not even 2/3's of its size, crumpled up by the weight of the truck that had crashed into us.

I could hear car alarms, sirens, screaming, but I couldn't open my eyes. I began to panic, but was unable to show it. I was laying dead still, but I knew exactly what was going on.

'Someone call an ambulance!' I heard the familiar voice of George's driver shout.

Thank god he was okay. Idve felt even worse if something had happened to someone else. The truck had completely crushed me inside of the car. I was okay, I think. I was alive. But I couldn't get out.

I knew this because not even 5 minutes later I heard the sound of fire engines. And after 10, I could feel the door of the car being ripped off. No more than 15, I felt my body being carefully pulled from the wreckage.

I could feel something dripping down my face. I wasn't sure if it was sweat, tears, blood, maybe even petrol but I wasn't sure I wanted to know.

'Get the cameras back.' I heard someone order, as I was laid down carefully onto a stretcher.

I knew I was in the ambulance when I felt myself getting strapped up to monitors, a few pricks in my arms telling me I was fully hooked up now. I no longer felt like I was burning like I did when I was still in the car.

Had it been on fire?

I was panicking but I couldn't panic. I knew that something really bad had happened to me but I couldn't react because my body just wasn't responding. I wasn't sure if I was actually unconscious or just caught up in the whirlwind of pain I was feeling. But I was sure the car I had been pulled from had been on fire.

Nobody had tried to speak to me. Probably because they didn't expect me to be alive, let alone awake. I was. But the shock must have been too much for my body because that was the last feeling I remember before everything went dark and I have to rely on Charles for the rest of the story.