As if | Max Verstappen

23

The last few days had been a blur for me. I couldn't tell what was real or not anymore. George hadn't left me alone once and if he needed to go away he always called Lando or Lewis.

they had tried to talk to me several times and tried to get me to tell them what happened before they came in but I refused to talk to anyone. As I guessed, George had called and told our parents because they had tried to call me several times but I refused to talk.

I had become like a shell of myself. I didn't eat, I barely slept, I didn't talk, I didn't take care of my hygiene anymore. I just sat and looked out the window. sometimes I didn't even notice there was anyone in the same room as me.

Christian had found out that something had happened to me and said that I would not compete next weekend and take it easy but that I was more than happy to come and check. I tried to explain to Christian that I was going to race because it was the only thing that could take my focus off of something else but he had explained that I wasn't in the right state of mind to race right now. I knew he was right.

MAX POV

lando:

can you come over to belle's room none of the rest of us can keep tabs on her now.

Max:

does she want me to be there then?

lando:

she never notices who is there. it's like she's in a whole other world

Max:

I'll be over in 5

I put on other clothes and went over to her hotel room. I hadn't seen her since the night of the nightmare but I had heard that no one had seen her like this before. everyone declared that she was like a shell and her personality and everything had disappeared. Lando had explained that George was worried that she had lost interest in f1 as well.

I knocked on the door and Lando opened shortly after and explained where she was before he had to rush off on some errand. I went to the window where she had sat every day. when I got into the bedroom I was crushed to see her, she had lost several kilos and she looked like she had lost all color and she was curled up against the wall.

i thought about what lando had said about her barely knowing anyone was in the same room as her so i slowly walked up to her and said her name so as not to startle her. i knew we should avoid touching her so i stopped myself before touching her shoulder.

I sat on the other side and said her name again. before she had not reacted but now I saw that she reacted to her name. she didn't check on me but i knew she knew i was here.

"hello Belle" I said again gently.

she still had her focus on the view but she gave a careful and quick nod as if to say hello back.