dash

Stumbling in

"2025 season is here people!"
I put the post up on my blog and watch the notifications pop up as my post reaches people.

"Welcome back our queen"

"wohooo new season finally!"

"Ah! Any new gossip?"

"Dash! you are finally back! I can get back to reading your silly little blogs!"

I keep reading the comments, see that my post is being relogged and more people come in.
I crack my knuckles, stretch my arms and pull my shit together to write new article.

" Whispers of the grid" - I name it. its's cheesy, I know but my readers love it.
"As the new season approaches so does the same old drama - Will "L" finally get his championship.

I want to say that he might!"

I keep writing, the more I write the sea of words becomes wider, heavier and wilder. I criticize McLaren, their strategies and past mistakes and new beginnings. They seem to be learning from their mistakes so as much as I criticize them I praise them for using their past mistakes to better their future.

"But we are not gathered here for that now, are we? :)
Keep an eye out for my future blogs, maybe I will let you on a little secret <3

- Dash"

I hit the post button and close my laptop.
From sweet popularity of my online blogs, I get back to my very lonely, kinda sad university life.
My name is not actually Dash, I'm Kiera.
I've been on exchange program here in Monaco for the past 6 months, but I'm still not very used to the place. Don't get me wrong- the city, the buildings, people here are very nice, it's just I feel out of place everywhere I go.
I made exactly one friend, my roommate, Gianni. His enthusiastic love for the f1 made me want to watch it and eventually the sport has become my new obsession. He is a huge Tifossi, he eats, lives and breathes Ferrari but still failed to recruit me as Tifossi. First time I watched the race, my attention was drawn to a certain curly haired, green eyed cheeky British boy and his quiet, sarcastic brunette teammate in papaya team. I don't really know what it was but the moment I saw him I wanted that guy to win, I rooted for him as he not very gracefully cut people off, slid into corners and challenged the ultimate champion of the season. Then, I of course, searched the internet up and down to learn everything about him and became even bigger fan as I learned his history and how hard he worked.
I take a sip of my orange juice and lean back into my seat as I watch students move around in the library, quietly chit-chatting and gossiping. I can hear them whisper about my blog, not knowing that I'm the author behind it. I slip my laptop in its bag, gather my things and leave the library.
It is a pleasant Friday evening in Monaco, so I decide to take a walk through the city and walk home. I connect my earphones to my phone and walk down the grand stairs of the university masterfully avoiding students who are sat on the stairs, looking at sun setting behind the Mediterranean sea. It is a beautiful sight indeed, especially from the port, where I have to walk through to get home.
"Origami" by the The Rear Occasions start playing in my earphones as I step into the pavement walkthrough of the Port Hercule. My head bobs at the rhythm of the song, my body follows as I have pep in my step. It does feel like a moment out of coming of age movie, with the cute song, ethereal horizon and a warm breeze caressing my skin.
seeing as there is not many people in my path or around in general, just few yachts and their owners, I start dancing as I walk. I'm a stranger they won't see again, so why do I care.
the song doesn't match the way I'm dancing but I don't care, the melody is amazing. I twirl and turn, take large steps and I make a mistake of closing my eyes as I spin.
My clumsiness remembers that it has to ruin my life - I stumble on myself and lose balance.
I send my phone flying and wait for my eventual fall to the cold hard surface of the pavement.
Suddenly I feel pair of hands grab my waist, pull me and steady my feet on the ground.
I yelp and without realizing it grab the strangers shoulders for balance.
"Are you okay?" very familiar voice asks.
"yeah.. Oh my god thank you... I don't even know how that happened" I let go of his shoulders and take a step back, his hands soften the grip on my waist and as I pull back I realize why his voice was so familiar.
My breath hitches as I make eyecontact with the most beautiful, grayish green eyes and for the first time I notice golden particles in them. He is chuckling, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he finally lets go of me and takes a step back. I cannot believe my eyes, I'm starstruck but also I don't want to look stupid in front of him so I make sure my mouth is not hang agape.
"I mean you were too lost in that little dance, weren't you?" He says and smiles wider, his pearly teeth showing through slightly parted lips.
"Yes" I say embarrassed and avoid his eyes " I didn't think anyone was watching me" I lower my voice to almost whisper. as my eyes dart to my legs, I notice my phone on the ground "Ah fuck me" I sigh and pick it up from the ground. I try to unlock it but It doesn't turn on "Well my day just got better.. Anyways, thank you so much Lando" I tell him.
"You're welcome, just make sure you don't fall again, I won't be able to catch you then"
My hurt flutters as he winks at me and I feel burning sensation on my face. I smile ear to ear, like an idiot as I walk away from him, rethinking of every single look, smile, touch... he is even more handsome in real life and even though he isn't that tall I'm little shorter than him. I take few steps away from him and look back, he stands there, hands in his pockets, looking at me. He notices as I look back at him and winks one more time. It felt like I was shot in the heart as he winked at me. I look ahead again, my heart jumping in my chest.
some time passes and I arrive home. Gianni is talking to his friends over the phone as he smokes on the balcony, I smell the food he is cooking in the kitchen.
"I'm home" I loudly say as i walk past the living room to take a sneak of his cooking in the kitchen. Gnocchi it seems and it smells like something straight from Michelin star restaurant right now.
"Principessa" Gianni puts out his cigarette as he comes back inside "I thought you were gonna be at University for another 2 hours"
"I got bored" I said as I plopped down on our bar chair "Guess who I met today"
"Uhm... I don't know. It's Monaco, you can meet anyone here"
"I met Lando"
He pauses stirring the pot and looks up at me.
"Lando as in Lando Norris?"
"Yeah"
He puts down the spatula
"I almost fell to the ground and he caught me"
His eyebrows furrow for a moment but then a small smile breaks his serious expression. I hear a soft "tch" eacape his lips as he goes back to cooking.
"Are you going to talk my ears off about it?"
He asks and doesn't look at me as he pours two glasses of white wine, before adding the rest to the pasta sauce.
"You bet"
he sighs and takes a sip before handing me my glass.
Indeed, that night all I ever talked about was Lando, but to my surprise Giovanni actually listened and gossiped with me.

Maybe, just maybe I'm getting though him a little about making him like Lando.