Max
The first qualifying session was in a few minutes. I was already in my car trying to clear my head. Christian still wasn't happy with me.
"How could you make an enemy before the season has even started?" I remembered him saying.
Me walking out with Lavigne while talking undid some damage, but some people thought it was fake. It obviously was. I mean just before we walked out we didn't say a word and how could anyone believe we went from hating to liking in a few days.
"If you don't fix this yourself I'll do it with Tom." he had said me.
Tom was my PR manager, he wouldn't like this. But he must've known about this. Who didn't know it already?
...
Jules
My first qualifying session for a race in F1 was in a few minutes. I was stressed. Really stressed. But I could do this, I would do great. I've been repeating those words like a mantra in my head the whole day. I was sitting in the car for about 10 minutes, trying to calm down.
Breath in, breath out. Focus on your heartbeat.
I knew that my parents were watching at home on the television. I was going to make them proud. Because I could do this.
The only problem was Max. This morning Alice came to me and told me it wasn't fixed yet. I needed to try harder, otherwise she would handle it her way. I didn't want to know how she would do it. But I could tell I wouldn't like it.
Stop. I needed to focus.
...
Narrator
'Q1 just started in Bahrain and it looks like a lot of cars are already going out.' the presenter said speaking into his microphone.
Both Redbulls were out and after a lap of warming the tyres Max pushed down onto his throttle.
'Max Verstappen goes for a flying lap now.'
'I'm curious how he'll do.'
'I'm pretty sure that he'll do amazing considering he killed it in every practise session.'
While the presenters chitchatted Jules started her first flying lap. She could hear the audience, she could hear her heartbeat and she loved it. The rush that racing gave her was one that could never be beaten. Nothing else got her this exited and nothing made her ever feel this free.
'Juliette Lavigne, the rookie, started a flying lap.'
'She's doing pretty well in the first sector.'
'Look at her go, she's just a rookie.'
'Also her second sector is really good.'
'She clearly knows what she's doing.'
'Look at how she turns in turn 13, so smoothly.'
'Let's see where that brings her.'
'Sixth position!'
'Amazing for a rookie.'
'Definitly.'
Jules crossed the line and immediatly went in for another lap.
"That's sixth for now." the engineer told her.
She smiled.
"For now." he said to be sure.
"I know, I'm happy." she was able to get out. Driving a fast car was difficult and tiring. Talking wasn't really talking it was more like breathing out a few words.
....
'Out in Q1 are; Logan Sargeant, Lance Stroll, Nico Hülkenberg, Zhou Guanyu and Kevin Magnussen.'
'Very impressive work from Lavigne today, she just made it to Q2 beeing at 13th position right now. But that can all change.'
Her breathing wasn't steady, but she wasn't stressed anymore. She was happy and relieved. She made it to Q2.
'On provisional pole is Max Verstappen, but Bianca Bustamante is getting really close.'
'And so is Carlos Sainz, who's in third position now.'
Jules went out on the track and started warming her tyres a bit. She crossed the line and went in for a flying lap.
'There is Lavigne trying to upgrade her time to get into Q3.'
'Getting in Q3 as a rookie would be crazy.'
'It looks like she's going for it though.'
Every turn she breathed out extra long, it was something she always did. Another thing she did was hold her breath when crossing the finish line. She did it since she was little, now it was like a lucky charm.
'What a lap! From 13th to 9th. Currently in the save zone.'
'It looks like she's going for another one.'
'Time is almost up and almost all the drivers are going for a last lap. Exited to see how that's going to turn out.'
In front of her she could see a few other cars.
Meanwhile Max was almost done with his lap, still on provisional pole.
'Max crosses the line still on pole.'
'Let's see what the rest will do.'
But then while Jules was almost in sector two of her flying lap an Alpine was driving really slow in front of her.
'Who is that?'
'It's Esteban with an engine failure, I suppose.'
'And he's slowing down everyone behind him.'
'Lavigne, Bottas and Norris will probably not improve their time now.'
"Putain!! Putain de merde!!" she yelled in her microphone.
'Looks like Lavigne isn't happy about that.'
'I wouldn't be happy either.'
"Pleas finish this lap like that didn't happend." her engineer told her.
"Is it possible to improve my time?" she asked desperate.
"Probably not, but just keep going." he answered.
"Putain." she repeated.
'And like we expected; Lavigne, Bottas and Norris weren't able to improve their time.'
'Out in Q2 are Esteban Ocon, Valtteri Bottas, Kevin Magnussen, Lando Norris and Juliette Lavigne.'
'Definitly not bad for the rookie.'
'For sure an amazing first qualifying session.'
...
Jules
"You made it to Q2 that's amazing." Simon told me, but I didn't want to hear it. I just sighed while drying my neck with a towel.
"I'ts just stupid, I could've improved." I answered. "He couldn't do anything about his engine." he answered. "I know, I'm not mad at Esteban." I said. I really wasn't, it was just bad luck. I couldn't get why I got bad luck. Max got pole position, but he acted like a douche to me since day one. Why did he get all the good luck? I didn't tell Simon that, I knew what he would answer.
'This isn't about luck, it's about talent and confidence.'
He had told me many times before. I believed him, but I've always believed in luck and bad luck. I never walked under a ladder. I always wished for something when I blew out candles from my cake or when I blew away an eyelash. I touched my number thirteen on my door everytime I walked in. A lot of people would say thirteen means bad luck. But I've had the number since I was little. It shoul've been giving me luck. But it didn't.
"Let's go Jules." I heard Alice say. She smiled at me and put her hand on my back while guiding me towards the interviews. "You did amazing." she said to me. "Thanks." I answered.
...
"Any bad blood between you and Esteban?" the last interviewer asked. I was already so tired of this question. But I answered it like it was the first.
"Ofcourse not! It wasn't his fault that his engine had a failure." I answered. The woman nodded while looking down at her papers.
"We've all heard the rumours about you and Max. Care to explain your side of the story?" she asked me. I was also tired of that question. I never really gave a clear answer to this, because I didn't know what to answer.
"We're friends." I simply said and smiled at the woman. She looked at me like she expected more. Luckily Alice grabbed my arm slightly which was a sign that I could leave. I thanked the woman and walked away with Alice.
"Good job." she told me. "I think I've answered those questions ten times already." I said. She laughed a little while shaking her head. "You're great at these interviews. You're not coming over as a bad guy and you're not giving away too much information." she pointed out.
Atleast I did one thing great.
...
Max
The interviews were finally over and I just wanted to rest. But before I could sit down someone knocked on the door. When I opened it I saw Christian and Tom.
"What did I do?" I asked them. They both just shrugged and nugded their head to the side. I followed them into an office.
"It started with articles about you two. Now the articles are about you as the bad guy." Christian started. "You know why? Because in interviews she answers questions about the two of you with a smile." he followed. "But you? Well first you roll your eyes then you sigh and then you say that you're friends. Who's going to believe that?" he finished frustrated.
"I act like that because I get that stupid question every time. Not because we're not friends." I explained. "Don't tell us." Tom said. "Make the world believe it."
I took a deep breath. How was I going to do that? I really tried to act like we were friends, but I didn't actually want to be that. She's just so confusing.
...
I finally arrived at my hotel. Quickly I walked into the lobby towards the elevator. From a distance I saw the second elevator open. I fastened my steps and practically ran towards the elevator. As I got in, just before the doors closed again, I heard someone yell.
"Hold it please!"
Nope.
I didn't move. I didn't want to be in an elevator with a stranger. I just wanted to rest, not small talk with some random woman.
But as I watched the doors close, a hand suddenly flew in between them. I sighed while the doors opened again. A pair of dark, angry eyes looked my way, Lavigne. I sighed again.
Her hair flew behind her as she walked inside. "Thank you so much." she said sarcastic. I just looked in front of me. I couldn't look at her. I hated her flushed cheeks and tinted lips. The way her hair looked so soft. Hated it.
"Should've expected you to be the guy who didn't hold the door for me." she added. "Why couldn't you just take another one?" I wondered. "Because I wanted to know who the person was that didn't hold the door for me." she answered sharply.
"Why do you act like you hate me?" I asked. "I don't act." she shot back. "Okay, how do you answer so calmly every single time you get a question about us?" I asked her curious. "I'm not a hot head like you." she answered. I held my breath while looking to the other side.
"I care about my reputation." she said while we reached her floor. "People paint out a bad picture about you. But why would you act like it?" she followed and then she walked out.
Before the doors could close I put my foot between them. I looked at her head suddenly turning back towards me. Her hair falling over her shoulders perfectly again.
"I guess I am a hot head sometimes. I know I've been a dick to you. But sometimes it feels like the only thing I'm known for. The only reason I'm winning or the only reason that people know my name." I never said that out loud before. "I'm scared I'll be no one when I'm not what they expect." I finished while the doors closed again. The last thing I saw were her parted lips and her eyes that actually looked at me with empathy.
What did I do? Why did I open up to her? I did feel relieved, but how of all people could I trust her with this information? How did her expression change so quickly? Was she really concerned and did she actually care for me?
...
First qualifying session :))
I will already tell you that she won't win every single race. Because it's her rookie year. And I know this is a fanfiction but I want to keep it as realistic as possible.
Please vote if you liked this chapter xxx