⌞ the chain ⌝

⌞ fifteen : first days ⌝

"McLaren. I'm going to race for Mclaren."

_

"Woah..."

Jenson squeezed my hand. He had offered to come with me—he was a McLaren racer, after all. After I had made the decision, I texted Susie to let her know, and she seemed proud. I was expecting to get a text from Max or Toto, but it was radio silence. It was also the middle of the racing season and they were both busy. I told myself not to expect much.

A man was standing a few feet away from us, looking like he was beaming. Jenson smiled when he noticed the man, giving him a wave and practically dragging me over there. I knew who it was, it was Zak Brown. We had talked on the phone a few times before now, just to welcome me and catch me up to speed on everything. He seemed nice enough.

"Hey, Jen."

"Hi, Zak."

He looked down at me. "And you're Eilulia, then."

"Yes, sir. Though, I would prefer Lula."

"That I can do." He shook my hand. "Well, then. You think you're ready for this?"

I reached up, my hand holding the crest. I wasn't alone in this but it was time. My own path. I let go of the necklace, looking up at Jenson who was already giving me a reassuring smile.

"I'm ready."

I left Jenson behind with a smile and a look that promised I would let him know how everything went before I followed after Zak.

"So, as you know, you most likely won't race this season."

I followed behind him as he went on about my contract. I had already read over it but it was always good to talk about it. There were some things I was a bit confused about and Zak had answered all of my questions willingly and with a pretty open mind about it.

"Yes, sir."

"You will get chances to practice here and on certain races, you'll come with and get to run during FP1."

"I understand."

He pointed at me to sit in the chair across from him. I took it, my hands folding into my lap as he typed some things out on the computer. It was a soft sound and I was drawn to the space outside the window. It was a giant lake in the front of the glass building and I could see a McLaren pulling in. My curiosity wondered who it was but Zak stopped typing and I looked back toward him.

"We have all your measurements. Thank you, Toto Wolff."

I snorted at the statement. Toto was still playing Father even though I wasn't under the Mercedes family anymore. I was a McLaren racer; contracted dotted, and signed.

"You'll get racing gear in the next few days. You have a locker space here and while you wait for them, you are welcome to use the sims." He looked up at me. "All that being said, Miss Bianchi-Leclerc... welcome to the family."

_

My alarm went off at four. I got up, trying to shake the sleep from my mind as I threw on the clothes I had set out the night before. The running shorts and trainers were easy to get on, but the sports bra and tank felt like a war. They hugged my skin in ways I wasn't used to anymore but I brushed it off and grabbed a random zip-up from the closet.

It was time to get back into shape.

My workout bag had never been completely unpacked. Part of me had always found comfort in the soft pain of the workout, pushing myself until I found that hard wall and doing whatever I could to break it. There was no limit, in my mind. Just the wall and everything that waited behind it for me.

It wasn't going to be easy. I hadn't been training like I was a racer. Hell, I had barely worked out in the time since everything happened but if I wanted to fight for this dream, I was going to have to set that curve. Here and now.

I sighed, walking into the kitchen. Lewis was sitting there, waiting.

"What are you doing up?"

"I wanted to see you off on your first day."

He patted the seat in front of him. I rolled my eyes but took the seat, letting my bag fall beside me. Lewis sat behind me, hands going into my hair. It took me a second but I figured out what he was doing. I snorted as he braided my hair back.

"Why?"

"Because you'll try to do it when you get there and get all frustrated at it. Plus, I want to do something with my little girl for her first day of being a signed driver."

"You are such a girl dad."

He snorted, tying off the braids. "Well, I take that as a compliment. And if it means I get to have moments like this, then I will be a girl dad."

I stood up, taking a second to look at my braids. They looked amazing and it made me look a bit older. It fit, seeing as I was going to be an adult in a few months. My heart sank when I realized I wouldn't be celebrating my eighteenth with my twin. My breath hitched for a second but I forced myself to breathe. My path.

I shook it off as I ran over, crushing Lewis in a hug. "Thank you."

"Go get out there, kid."

_

I almost collapsed as the treadmill stopped. I curled over, trying not to throw up as the sweat collected in a pool below me. I knew I was out of shape but this was different, this was a mess. I could barely run a 5k without feeling like death.

"This is definitely a sight."

I looked up, not recognizing the voice. "And- who are you?"

"Lando Norris, pleasure."

I rolled my eyes, not another Brit. I was getting tired of all the posh accents that circled me but I tried to offer a smile, my throat aching at the cold air of the workout room. "Lula Bianchi-Leclerc."

"You're my new teammate."

"Unfortunately."

"Why is that unfortunate?"

I gagged. "Because if you don't take a few steps back, I might throw up on your shoes."

He quickly backed up and I practically sprinted over to the nearest trashcan, the only thing that came up was the water I had drank during my run. I took a few breaths before I stood back up, wiping the hair back from my face.

Lando was looking at me like I was crazy and I almost laughed in that moment. He was a young kid, couldn't be more than fifteen or sixteen. I tried not to let it get to me. I was about to turn eighteen and I was in the same place as this kid. But then again, he had been racing his entire life. I hadn't.

"Do you have a staring problem?"

"Oh- uh, no. I'm sorry."

I snorted. "I'm messing with you, kid. I had a younger brother, he's close to you in age."

"Cool." He stood there for a second like he was trying to gain the traction to say what he wanted to say. "Do you want to go grab some breakfast and then we can race on the sim?"

I smiled. "That sounds great."

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a/n: it all too much for little lando norris. and i know, i know that isn't not exactly right and it's not exactly the same but it's my fic and what i say goes. but as always, love it or don't :p