𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒, charles leclerc

chapter fifteen

the belgian grand prix weekend was finally underway as all the drivers and their supporters had arrived for practices starting tomorrow. the f2 race, running the same weekend at spa, allowed for thursday night to be a reunion-type night for many of the racers.

juliet heard a loud knock on her hotel room door and quickly turned off her hair curler, placing it down on the bathroom counter as she ran to unlock it. she twisted the door knob open to reveal pierre and charles, both dapper as ever in their more formal clothes.

"come on in, i'm just finishing my hair," she shut the door as they walked in, running back into the bathroom.

pierre sat down on the end of his sister's bed and looked up at charles. "excited for the weekend?" he asked his best friend.

it wasn't a secret that things had been a bit distant between them ever since anthoine's engagement party and pierre's demotion. but charles missed his best friend and just wanted things to go back to normal.

"yes, sure to be good...the team is prepared and hopefully we do well," the monégasque replied and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"i'm fucking terrified, mate," pierre tried for a split second to lie, but just couldn't. "i just know the press is going to be ruthless."

"i'm sure it will be okay," charles attempted to comfort him, "just sit there and take it, and then it'll be over."

pierre nodded and smiled slightly. the two sat in partial silence, partial conversation until juliet emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later. she was clad in her brown leather pants, white crop top, and dressy cardigan, all pulled together with her gold ear jewelry and wavy hair.

woah, charles thought, but immediately hid his reaction in front of pierre. the two were still yet to go on that 'date'.

the trio left juliet's room and rode the elevator downstairs to find the rest of the group they were going out with sitting around the lobby. anthoine, julie, esteban ocon, and his girlfriend elena were all talking as they approached them.

"hey everyone," charles greeted the group first and started hugging everyone. the two gasly's followed with their own greetings, and soon they were off to the restaurant.

the group arrived and sat down at their table. juliet ended up at one end of the table with elena beside her and julie across from her. chatter began amongst the table, drinks and appetizers soon ordered and served.

juliet stayed in quiet conversation with the other two girls at the table. "so, have you and 'thoine thought about wedding plans yet?"

"uh...kinda...we know it's going to have to be sometime between december and march," the french girl began, "and we know we probably want to do it back home...but otherwise we've got no other plans."

"well, i'm free any time of the year until my results come back...so if you need any help just let me know." juliet replied.

"yeah, i follow that little shit everywhere so i can help out too," elena chuckled, pointing with her eyes at esteban.

"still nobody, juliet?" julie asked as she sipped her drink. for all the years that julie had known the young gasly—which, for the record was six and a half—, she hadn't had a single boyfriend.

juliet had always come up with excuses as to why she didn't have one: there was nobody she liked, she was too busy with school, her parents wouldn't allow it...and the list went on. her sense of constant independence as she pursued her law degree pushed her away from creating meaningful connections, is what she told herself. but there was always another reason. another one.