They say looks can kill and I might try
- Taylor Swift
4
GP Australia
Charles Leclerc
I can feel it coming from the beginning of the weekend, this desire to piss him off and destabilize him.
I just need to figure out how and when.
And the opportunity finally comes of itself when the FIA convenes all the teams for a meeting regarding a regulatory change.
I'm waiting to see people desert Redbull's booth. Carlos comes up to me and puts his hand on my shoulder.
"You're not coming?
- I'll join you. Don't worry, I just have something to do first.
- Okay, you're probably not going to miss much anyway, just try not to get noticed when you get there.
- You can count on me."
Carlos takes his hand off my shoulder and heads towards the FIA building.
I turn my face towards the Redbull premises and a smile stretches my face as I see the mechanics leaving the stands, soon followed by everyone.
Finally, Verstappen also left his stand.
My gaze lingered for a moment on his face, which did not reveal any particular emotion.
That man is probably made of ice.
I wait two more minutes to make sure I don't run into someone, I don't want to get caught.
I finally hurried to the Verstappen stand. The organization is similar to Ferrari and I have no trouble finding the driver's room.
I activate the wrist quickly and a triumphant smile appears on my face when I realize that this idiot did not take the time to lock it.
I hurry back inside.
My gaze quickly sweeps the small room. Everything is neatly tidied up. I don't know exactly what I expected when I walked in here, but the room seems to have never served.
And yet Verstappen's belongings are here.
I'm heading to a piece of furniture. I have to try to find something incriminating.
My hands are starting to go through the pilot's things. I come across clothes, shampooing and a multitude of basic things.
I'm putting his things back together the best I can.
I can't leave empty-handed. I would look even more stupid than what I'm doing right now.
An idea suddenly crosses my mind.
If I can't compromise him, I can make him angry. And what better way than to hide something that he never part with?
I get on my knees and start to rummage under his bunk, in the storage drawers. I need to act quickly before my absence from the FIA meeting becomes suspicious.
To my greatest relief I finally feel a large package under my hands.
Found it.
I can't help but giggle imagining Verstappen when he'll realize he doesn't find his package.
A Machiavellian smile crosses my face as I take great care to put everything back in place before taking the package with me.
I jumped out of my rival's stand and headed for mine. I unlock the door of my driver's room before slipping the package into the drawer under my own bench.
I hurry out without forgetting to close the door behind me, of course.
I quickly cross the paddock to reach the meeting.
I enter the room as quietly as possible and sit in the back of the room on a free chair, catching the annoyed glances of Mclaren's mechanics.
I give them a big smile before crossing the hall of the gaze in search of Verstappen.
I finally see him in a corner, next to his father. He has his face bent over his phone and he doesn't pay any attention to what's around him.
***
A smile runs through my face as I remove my helmet and quickly put my hair back in place.
My engineer hugs me.
"Congratulations, Charles.
- Well done, that was a good job."
I detach myself from him and look at the crowd of fans before gesturing to their cheers.
Tomorrow I'll leave in pole position. I try to be happy about it, but I know the race is far from won.
Behind me the two Redbull's cares are staring at me.
Carlos will start ninth, so he won't be able to help me. I'm going to be alone in front of them and I might as well say that even though I'm the one starting front row, the one who's most excited about tomorrow's race is Verstappen.
***
Sunday
I'm putting on my race suit when I suddenly hear an angry voice screaming across the paddock.
I immediately understand what is happening as I look at the package neatly stowed away in my driver's room.
I quickly finish preparing myself so as not to miss the show that Verstappen is putting on for the others.
When I go out into the paddock, I spot him immediately.
The suit on his hips, both hands on his head, over his cap talking angrily to his father in Dutch.
He finally noticed my presence and his chilling gaze pierced me immediately. A shiver runs through my body under the shock of his hateful gaze.
I'm not scared, but I've never seen that look on his face. At least not for me.
He finishes talking to his father and quickly heads towards me without letting go of my eyes. I quickly notice his clenched fists and jaw.
I give him a smile, but in reality I'm a little worried.
"Leclerc! He's bragging in a dry tone.
- Verstappen?
I respond by pretending to be ignorant.
The pilot is now at my level. I quickly detail him, noticing his red face, the vein sticking out on his temple and his jerked breath as if he had run.
"Where did you put them?
- What the hellare you talking about? I don't understand anything."
I suddenly feel a brutal force crashing down on my shoulders forcing me to step back, my back pounding violently against the wall behind me.
He just pushed me.
My smile left my face. I feel that things are getting out of hand far too quickly.
Anger begins to form in me as Verstappen moves towards me. Stuck between him and the wall, I don't have a chance to escape.
"Where did you put my lollipops, idiot!"
He yells, squeaking my shoulder painfully with one hand, the other leaning against the wall behind me.
He's not going to hit me. I'm trying to reassure myself.
We are in the middle of the paddock a few minutes from the start of the race. If he hits me, his career's over.
I support his gaze piercing the beating heart, my shoulder beginning to hurt badly at the power he puts in his fingers to squeeze my joint as if he wanted to crush it.
I know I'm doing something stupid when, with a trembling hand, I slip my fingers into the pocket of my suit to pull out a lollipop that I stole from the package belonging to the pilot in front of me.
Verstappen's gaze glides towards my hand, positioned between us. With the help of my second hand I begin to undo the wrapper before looking into the driver's eyes again.
I slip the lollipop into my mouth without letting him out of my sight. I feel him destabilized when I notice his hand slightly loosening the pressure on my shoulder.
I let my tongue slide on the lollipop without letting go of the pilot a few centimeters away from me.
For the first time, I discern something different than hate in his eyes without being able to identify what it might be.
I finally remove the lollipop from my mouth and wipe the strip of saliva between the candy and my lips without taking my eyes off the blue eyes in front of me for a moment.
I manage to put a mischievous smile on my lips before I speak.
"Scent strawberry? It's so unoriginal. You're so predictable Verstappen. "
My head hits the wall as the pilot pushes me back. This time I expected it but the pain is still present.
From the corner of my eye I see people coming closer to us and I understand that we are separated.
When Verstappen is finally away from me, Pierre throws himself at me with frowned brows, looking as anxious as he is angry.
"What the hell are you two doing?
He asks looking at the lollipop in my hand.
I shrug my shoulders.
- Apparently he can't find his lollipops...
- Did you have something to do with it?
- Maybe...
Pierre runs a hand through his hair, sighing.
- You and I will talk after the race."
He gives me one last look before rushing to join his team to finalize the preparations for the race.
I watch Verstappen chatting with Daniel in great agitation, he always seems as angry for my greatest happiness.
My gaze glides over the lollipop that I still hold in my hand. I put it back in my mouth and head quietly towards my team to finish preparing to win this race.
***
"Crash Leclerc. Crash from Redbull. Be carefull." My engineer points to me on the radio.
- Who's that?
- Verstappen, yellow flag, Leclerc there's probably some debris on the track.
- Is he all right?
- I can't give you any information right now, he didn't get out of the car. Focus on the race."
I don't like Verstappen but I don't wish him to crash anyway. No loved one deserves the fear inflicted by the sight of the car of the one we love crashing into the wall violently.
I stay focused on the laps I have to do, Pérez is far behind me so I'm not under pressure to win.
I finished the race in first position, followed by Pérez and Russell.
I answer questions from the media and get on the podium to raise my trophy.
I learn later from my team that Verstappen lost consciousness, causing his accident but no one has any more information.