LOVE OR RIDE | LESTAPPEN

chapter three - friends for show

I see him clench his fists. His muscles tighten, and nothing is left of his blue eyes. They are dark and covered with fog. He clenches his jaws, making his jawline more pronounced. His hair falls over his forehead, and there are still traces of blood near his nose. He looks in my direction with an urge to murder, and just as he is about to speak, Horner decides to end it.

"Enough! You've two already shown on the podium how much you value a place in Formula One."

"We value it." I reply uncontrollably, including this asshole to my statement. "It won't happen again, I give you my word." I add quickly, looking pleadingly at the Ferrari boss, who is always smiling most of the time. Today is the day he is not. Unfortunately.

"He won't repeat, because you two will take responsibility for your mistakes." says the FiA director. "Both of you will say at tomorrow's interview we have arranged for you that you are good friends, and this situation was a misunderstanding, a simple quarrel that has been resolved. From now on you are not enemies, understood?" he slips two pieces of paper in our direction to sign.

"Not an option!" Verstappen gets up from his chair, looking furiously at Horner. "You agreed to this! What the hell! I won't pretend to be anyone! Not with him!"

"I don't care what you want. You fucked up, so take responsibility for your actions now, like a grown man. I also don't care how close you will be, but you have to build up what you demolished. Your reputation, my reputation, your country's reputation and Red Bull's reputation. It takes more to put the bricks back up than it does to knock them down all at once, Max." Christian also looks nervously at his driver.

This apparently works, because the boy sits down again, looking at his boss apologetically. I don't blame him. I would have reacted the same way myself if those words had been directed in my direction. And maybe I shouldn't, but I agree with Horner. I too have messed up a lot, and now is the time to prove that I care about being there. After all, there are many takers, and yet it is I who occupy the seat in Ferrari.

"Alright, what should we do?" I ask calmly, feeling puzzled looks on me, while my gaze is fixed on the FiA director.

"I don't care what. I also don't care what you are like to each other in a place where there are no cameras, but when there are, he's got the sun shining out of his ass and you're vitamin D deficient, do you understand Max? You have to be reliable in being a friend. And if any of you mess this up, you'll be thrown out with no way to return." He gets up from his desk and hands us cards to sign.

I quickly read its contents and sign. I have just given up my freedom to save myself and this asshole. It promises to be a wonderful life.

"What do you mean until further notice?" he asks, furrowing his brow.

"Just sign it, Verstappen." I roll my eyes. How annoying he is. How will I put up with him for so long!

"I don't sign anything without reading it and understanding it, so as not to sell out, like you do, Leclerc." He forces a fake smile, and when he sees Horner's gaze, he reluctantly signs, handing over the piece of paper.

"Great. Get ready for tomorrow's interview, which will be first thing in the morning. There will be a lot of press, cameras and questions. You are supposed to have a consensus version of events, so I advise you to start getting ready now. And now thank you all, you can go now."

We all got up almost simultaneously leaving the room one by one. Christian along with Frederic go first, not even looking at us. I go at the very end, with the Red Bull driver in front of me. Reluctantly, I catch up with him and grab his arm to turn him in my direction.

"Don't touch me, Leclerc." He jerks his arm out of my grasp, taking a step back.

"I can't believe I'm saying this..." I mumble under my breath. "Should I come to you, or will you come to me? We'll order something for dinner and talk about tomorrow." I say reluctantly, not hiding how much I don't like the idea.