As I was walking to the apartment, I saw Maddie running toward me like a whirlwind. She threw her arms around me and hugged me tightly. "You did it!" she said, out of breath.
I hugged her back, still in disbelief. "I can't believe it," I replied.
"Well, at least one of us succeeded," she said, chuckling.
"Don't say that! You can still go for it!" I insisted, giving her a determined look. "But you'll have to get through me first," I added with a cheeky smile.
"Okay, bro, don't start gloating about your title," she said with a serious tone, though she struggled to keep a straight face.
"So, who did you meet in Russia?" she asked excitedly.
"Ooh, I met Jonathan," I said, wiggling my eyebrows.
She looked at me with a mix of disgust and amusement. "Don't do that ever again. And Jonathan? I haven't seen him in a while," she said, flopping onto the couch.
I walked into the kitchen, thinking about whether I should break the news to her now or later. But then again, I was exhausted and really needed some sleep. I sighed as I rummaged through the snack cupboard.
"Did you even do anything while you were there? It looks like you only talked to Jonathan and participated in the tournament," she called from the other room, her voice tinged with disappointment.
"Well, you know I'm a homebody and don't do much fun stuff," I said, sounding worn out. "I was there for a championship and not much else."
I took a deep breath, deciding it was time to spill the beans. "I did meet two other people, though," I said, trying to sound casual.
"Really? What are their names?" she asked, her excitement evident in her voice.
"Their names were Charles and Carlos," I said slowly, waiting for her reaction.
I saw her eyes widen as she dashed into the kitchen. "Like Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz?" she asked, breathlessly, hoping they were the same people.
"Yup," I said, acting nonchalant.
"Elizabeth, this is not something you can just drop on me! THEY ARE CHARLES AND CARLOS FROM THE F1 TEAM FERRARI!" she exclaimed, completely shocked.
I couldn't help but laugh at her reaction. "I know, I still can't believe I met them. They're actually really humbled and good-looking," I said, still chuckling.
"They're actually fans of chess," I added, taking a bite of my apple, which only seemed to heighten her surprise.
So, what did you guys talk about?" she asked urgently.
"Well, we talked about chess and you," I said, laughing at her reaction.
"You did not talk about me! That's so embarrassing. Knowing you, I bet you mentioned how big of a fan I am," she said, covering her face with her hands.
I laughed even harder at her mortified expression. "Oh, absolutely! They were really impressed by your enthusiasm," I teased.
Her face turned even redder as she buried it further in her hands. "You're the worst!" she mumbled through her fingers.
I continued to laugh, enjoying how flustered she was. "Well, it's all true. They were curious about what makes you such a dedicated fan."
She peeked at me from between her fingers, a mix of embarrassment and curiosity on her face. "What did they say?" she asked, trying to sound casual but clearly still blushing.
"They were just fascinated by your passion," I said with a grin. "It's not every day they meet someone as enthusiastic about both chess and F1 as you."
She finally dropped her hands and let out a reluctant smile. "Alright, alright, you win. I guess I'll have to get used to being the center of attention sometimes."
I patted her on the back, still chuckling. "That's the spirit"
"Oh, and don't forget to pack," I said offhandedly, trying to sound casual.
"What do you mean?" she asked, coming up to me with a curious look.
"Well, aren't we going to an F1 race?" I said, giving her a faux-confused look.
Her jaw dropped as she processed the information. "WE'RE GOING TO AN F1 RACE?" she screamed, before running to her room, most likely to start picking out her outfits.
I watched her go with a smile, feeling pleased with how that went. Then I headed to my own room, already feeling a bit more at ease.
So to start with I changing when I post I didn't think college was gonna hit be hard I just started so I will post when I can and still try to post weekly if I can. Hope you guys like the chapter 💀 should of started in the beginning of the summer 😭
