CHAPTER ONE
[ real life / instagram ]
❛ merry christmas ❜
"Merry Christmas!" Marnina Santos – Marnie to most people – exclaimed, opening her front door to see her best friend Max Verstappen on the other side. The girl flung herself at the boy, who happily returned the hug, holding the girl he hadn't seen in months tightly in his arms.
"Merry Christmas, Marnie." Max smiled as he spoke.
The two had grown up together, Max meeting Marnie when she moved to Belgium at the age of three. Max quickly became Marnie's big brother, due to the four year age gap, and her best friend. The two spent as much time as they could – without Jos popping a socket – together. They went on bike rides and star gazed and bitched about guys and girls they hated and drank when they weren't supposed to (even though Lorenzo Santos was weirdly okay with it, Lorenzo even casually drinking with Max when he turned sixteen despite Marnie being left out at only age twelve).
Their friendship continued on when Max moved to Monaco as soon as he turned 18, the boy frequently visiting his second and most important family and the Santos' would visit him every summer until Marnie was 18 and could travel alone to go and see Max as well as support him in all of his race triumphs and loses.
And despite the 2022 season ending in November with Max now having two world championships under his belt, he had to go and see lots of people before he could return home for Christmas.
"I've missed you, how have you been?" Marnie asked as the two let go of each other, Max stepping into the house behind Marnie.
"It's been good, saw my dad the other day so now I'm yours until New Years when we are going to Monaco to hang out with some drivers." Max explained.
"Sounds like fun, I can't wait." Marnie smiled. "How was you dad?"
"Happy I got the world championship but still picked apart my last race as per usual." Max shrugged. "Thought he was going to poison my drink to be quite honest."
"Wouldn't put it past Jos." Marnie commented. "You remember that time we went karting just before you left for Monaco and I had just turned fifteen so decided to do some drunk karting and Jos got so mad he gave us gone off food for dinner."
"I do." Max laughed at the memory. "Fun times."
"I have food poisoning for a week and he blamed it on a hangover." Marnie added, only fuelling Max's laughter.
"Oh gosh, I remember." Max shook his head. "I got a lecture about drinking too much that week, told me he'd never want me to end up like you, drunk and puking everywhere because you were hungover."
"Damn, I love it when I was the star of Jos' lectures. I'm literally such a bad influence." Marnie joked, making a face at Max, who laughed once more. If anything, Max was the bad influence and not Marnie. Despite the girl always encouraging bad behaviour, before the age of eighteen, she never suggested the bad ideas that Max came up with like sneaking into the go karting place at night for some midnight driving.
"You are now." Max quipped.
"Hey, I'm not a bad influence I'm just fun." Marnie defended.
"Uh, huh, whatever helps you sleep at night Marns." Max ruffled her hair. "Hey, where are your parents?"
"Oh mum's getting last minute snacks and dad is out back." Marnie told him.
Max nodded, the two walking out back to see Lorenzo Santos stood staring up at the trees. Marnie stared at him for a few moments. "Dad whatever are you doing?"
"Seeing what types of birds are in our trees." Lorenzo called over his shoulder. "I got distracted when I was trying to find the light up reindeer your mother wants to put in the living room."
"Yeah, next to the fireplace like every year. Traditions don't change, dad." Marnie stated.
"And yet I wish for them to every year." Lorenzo sighed. "The reindeer is ugly."
"It's not ugly, it's just... bright." Marnie defended it with slight hesitation.
"It is pretty ugly Marnie." Max piped up, causing Lorenzo to finally turn around at the sound of the boy's voice.
"Maximillian." Lorenzo greeted with a happy smile, moving over to hug the boy tightly. "Merry Christmas son."
"Merry Christmas Eno." Max smiled into the hug, all past tension from his body evaporating within a second.
A sudden shout and a horn beeping came from outside the house, causing all three of them to jump. Lorenzo let out a small sigh that turned into a quiet chuckle. "Your mother is home."
Marnie laughed at the statement. Everyone that Bianca Santos was not the best driver, in fact, none of them knew how she passed her test in the first place. Marnie remembered the day Max told her he was more scared of Bianca's driving than his dad and crashing in formula one combined.
Bianca Santos was good at many things, she owned a small inn and drank copious amounts of coffee, gave the best advice ever and deserved an award for greatest mum in the world.
"Hi mum need some help?" Marnie called, stepping out the front door to where Bianca was stood, swearing under her breath as she walked to the boot of the car.
"Yes please, mija." She let out a small breath. "Did you hear that car beep at me? Utter stupidity, perra estupido, he nearly crashed into me when all I was doing was turning onto our drive. Cono, cono, cono."
"Yes, mami, he was in the wrong." Marnina nodded with a small laugh, getting the bags from the boot and walking back into the house. She walked into the kitchen and began unpacking the bags, putting all the food her mother had bought in its respective places, the faint sound of Bianca greeting Max in the background.
"Oh, Maxie, how lovely to see you." Bianca gushed. "I have missed you so much, mi corazon, how have you been?"
"I've been good." Max responded. "Enjoying my time not having to race."
Marnie shook her head, finishing unpacking the shopping before making her way into the living room where her family was now sat.
"Marns, you could've gotten drinks while you were up." Lorenzo complained as Marnie sat down.
"And you could've unpacked the shopping but you didn't so I think you have to get your own drink." Marnie shot back.
"Don't speak to your father like that." Bianca warned.
"Sorry mami."
"Hmmm." Bianca hummed, shooting her look.
"I'll grab drinks." Max offered, standing up from his seat. "What can I get you all?"
"Marnie a house so she moves out." Lorenzo joked with a small smile.
"I offered her to move to Monaco with me but she declined." Max told him.
"I didn't decline." Marnie stated. "I told you I'd think about it."
"Well think about it quicker." Max raised his eyebrows at her. "I'm sick of flying to see you."
"Oh shut up, it's not even that far." Marnie threw a sofa cushion at the boy, who caught it and threw it back at her.
"Anyway, drinks?"
Everyone told Max want they wanted to drink, the boy going to the kitchen to grab them all. Marnie let out a small sigh as she turned to face her parents, knowing exactly what they were going to say.
"Marnie, you never told us Max offered you to move in with him." Bianca stated, sending her daughter a look.
"It never came up." Marnie shrugged.
"I think you should move, you'd love Monaco." Lorenzo told her.
"Yeah but you guys won't be there." Marnie responded.
"Max will."
"Barely, he travels around the world for most of the year." Marnie raised her eyebrows, glancing between her parents a couple of times.
"You could travel around with Max." Bianca shrugged. "Film videos with him, spend all summer in Monaco and then come here for Christmas."
"You would also save Max from Jos at the Grand Prixes." Lorenzo reminded her with a tilt of his head, knowing that this would be the reason she gave in.
"That's true." Marnie let out a small sigh. "I'll definitely think about it."
"I think it would be good for you, mija." Bianca sent her a smile. Marnie nodded, opening her to say something when Max re-entered the living room, handing out drinks before the family all started their yearly tradition of shit talking everyone in their lives.
The family spent the evening laughing and messing around, listening to Christmas songs at the top of their lungs and stuffing their faces with all of the snacks that had been brought. Marnie laughed, looking around at her family in front of her.
She loved Max so so much, he was like her brother, her best friend, her lifeline and she missed him so much when he wasn't here with her. Max had invited her to come along to all of his races, saying he could travel and stay with him whenever he wanted. He had even said he'd try and convince Christian Horner to hire her as Red Bull's social media manager. She had declined – obviously – but the thought always lingered in her mind.
She could go with Max, move with him to Monaco and go to his races. She could meet all the drivers and film youtube videos and tiktoks with all of them. It would be the life, it would be the life that other people dream of and yet she just couldn't imagine leaving her mum and dad.
It had always been Marnie, Bianca and Lorenzo. Ever since she was born that's all it had been. Marnie, Bianca, Lorenzo and Max. But Max was off travelling always and Marnie's parents were not good enough using technologies for her to leave for long periods of time.
Except now something had changed. The fact they'd practically told her go had opened her eyes a little bit. She was twenty two years old and even though she was still young she had to move out of her parent's home eventually, and what better first place to move into than your professional two time world championship formula one driver best friend.
Marnie now sat in the guest bedroom, or more commonly known as Max's room, the boy unpacking a few of his things, including Christmas presents.
"I have the best presents for you Maxie." Marnie told him with a teasing smile.
"The fact that you just called me Maxie leads me to believe otherwise." Max sent her a look.
Marnie simply shrugged before letting out a small laugh. "I can't believe it's Christmas tomorrow."
"Another year down." Max turned to her.
"Another year of being your friend." Marnie sighed. "How we've made it this far I have no idea."
"Neither do I."
Marnie leant her head against Max's shoulder, the boy now sitting on the bed next to her. "I'm so glad you're part of my life."
"Me too, Marnie." Max nodded softly. "I'm glad your dad got that job."
"Yeah. You're worth moving country for." Marnie stated, hugging the boy tighter.
"So are you." Max smiled. Marnie moved away from Max, flopping back on the bad with a dramatic sigh.
"I'm sleeping here." She announced.
"Okay." Max shrugged, moving her arm out of his way before lying next to her. "I'm sleeping here too."
"Alright." Marnie responded. "Just like old times."
"Just like old times."
Marnie very quickly fell asleep, exhaustion taking over. The next day she woke up to the sound of her parents singing Christmas songs at the top of their lungs. Marnie groaned at the noise, turning over and burying her head in the mattress. A laugh sounded from next to her, the girl punching her best friend with no hesitation.
"Felix Navidad." Max sang badly, causing Marnie to groan even louder.
"Stop."
"Never."
"Marnina! Get up now!" Bianca called up the stairs. "Max, cariño, breakfast is nearly ready."
"Why is she so much nicer to you?" Marnie asked as she sat up.
"Because I'm better than you."
"Not true."
"Hmmm."
The two walked down the stairs, eating breakfast with their family before retreating to the living room. Marnie stared at the tree, her and Max having decorated it the night before. The Santos family had two living rooms meaning two Christmas trees, one in the main living room that is decorated at the normal December decorating time and the other in the cosy living room that stays undecorated until Max comes to visit and does it with Marnie.
"Presents time!" Marnie squealed like a five year old girl.
Max shook his head with a laugh as they all began to hand around presents. By the time they had finished Marnie had enough clothes to fit three closets, some new jewellery and three new vinyls.
"Marnie, here's yours from me." Max handed her a small wrapped present.
Marnie's eyebrows furrowed, confused on what he could've gotten for her. She carefully unwrapped it, peeling the paper back to reveal a brand new camera for her to film youtube stuff on and take as many photos as she wanted. She looked up to Max with a soft smile.
"There's a photo of you as a kid staring at that camera, I found it the other day while I was going through stuff so I brought it for you." Max explained quickly, mistaking her silence for her hating the gift. "I can take it back or—"
"It's incredible." Marnie interrupted him. "Thank you, Max."
"No problem."
"Here is yours from me." Marnie passed him her present. She watched him unwrap it, picking up the house plant.
He nodded slowly, looking up at her in confusion. "Thank you?"
"It's to go in my new bedroom... in Monaco." Marnie told him. Max's head shot up to look at her.
"Are you—"
"Yes I'll move in with you." Marnie nodded.
"Finally!" Max exclaimed, moving to hug his best friend.
Marnie let out a laugh as her parents shook their heads at the two. Bianca looked over at Lorenzo, a fond smile on her face as she nudged him. "Kids, hey."
"We should've had more of them." Lorenzo nodded.
"No."
"Okay."
"Now I have a new camera to record my I'm moving vlog." Marnie announced.
"We just connected without even realising." Max shrugged.
"Same wavelength." Marnie nodded.
> marniesantos has posted
tagged : maxverstappen1
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❤️ liked by maxverstappen1 and 54,547 others
marniesantos somethings never change, felix navidad from my family to yours 😘😘🎄🎄🎅
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username1 oh my god
username2 she's so pretty
username3 FAV FAMILY
username4 I ADORE THEM
username5 CUTIES
username6 i hey max really liked you posting the last picture
⤷ marniesantos he should've stolen my phone
username6 y'all were so cute
⤷ username2 WHAT DO YOU MEAN WERE RHEY STILL ARE
⤷ username7 BEST FAMILY EVER
⤷ marniesantos you guys are so right
⤷ maxverstappen1 SANTOS STAY 🔛🔝
⤷ username3 max using gen z typing oh my god
⤷ username9 she's been teaching him
⤷ username8 max is leaning y'all
lilymhe merry christmas baby girl
⤷ marniesantos merry christmas i love you so much
view 23,450 likes
username11 merry christmas 🤭🤭
charles_leclerc ditch max and come to monaco rn
⤷ marniesantos new years charles have patience
danielricciardo max slayed the last picture
⤷ marniesantos DANNY RIC SO REAL OF YOU
⤷ danielricciardo the other photos are as cute i'm not in them
⤷ marniesantos love you too danny ric! #maxiel confirmed
⤷ username8 unexpected friendship but i support it
⤷ username7 danny ric and marnie world domination?
maxverstappen1 merry christmas 🎅🎄
⤷ marniesantos the emojis are icky stop
⤷ maxverstappen1 🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄
⤷ marniesantos that's it i'm not moving in with you
⤷ marniefanclub MARNIES MOVING TO MONACO
carlosainz55 FELIX NAVIDAD
⤷ pierregasly JOYEUX NOEL
⤷ georgerussel63 HAPPY CHRISTMAS
⤷ oscarpiastri MERRY CHRISTMAS
⤷ alex_albon MERRY CHRISTMAS
⤷ lewishamilton MERRY CHRISTMAS
⤷ marniesantos felix navidad merry christmas love you all 🧡🧡🧡🧡
( 💌 ) Isobel's notes
merry christmas to all those who celebrate it
have this lovely chapter and tell me all about
your days :))))