♬ ❝ So, I'll call you my best friend through the good times and the bad ones ❞ ♬
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73 days until summer break
Friday - Free Practice 1 and 2 - Monaco
"Good morning, Jasmine," The professor gave me a friendly smile as I walked into the classroom. The seminar wasn't going to start for another hour, but I needed some quick advice before having several other classmates ask their questions too.
"Good morning, sir Blanc," I greeted him back. "Do you have a minute?"
"Yes, of course, what can I do for you?" He shifted some papers aside and pointed to the chair next to him.
"I am just having some trouble writing the reports, I don't know how to phrase the gathered information."
Professor Blanc nodded, "Alright. Can you show me what you have now?"
I grabbed my laptop from my bag and opened it, "It really is not much. But I can show you the information I gathered too."
A benefit of having a well-known name is the connections you have everywhere, so gathering the information I needed was not that hard as I had a few hundred people willing to participate in my survey.
"Okay, so I see you have lots of participants, that is very nice," We started scrolling through my document, and I got some valuable information. I knew I would have enough time to write these reports, but the stress was already burying me.
After a few minutes, I said my goodbyes, only to see him again when the lecture started, but my stress level was significantly lower than in the morning. Which I know Mia and Melody would be glad about.
The white car of Mia was standing in the kiss & ride part in front of the university, I quickly ran to them to get in that car and leave as fast as possible.
"How was school, honey?" Mia asked, she exaggerated the words to sound like a mom picking up her child as she looked at me through the rear mirror and smiled.
"It was good, thanks for asking," I smiled back. "I got pieces of advice for my thesis, so I can continue with it."
"That is nice," Melody chirped, she turned around to face me and gave me a smile too. "How are you feeling further? Still stressed?"
"Not as much as this morning or last week, I think I am doing the right things for now."
"Perfect, shall we go out to that new cocktail bar then?"
Mia started the car to drive to her apartment, we had agreed to meet there for a simple dinner, "Sounds like a good plan."
"Yes," I nodded in agreement. "Does one of you maybe know what Charles did in the free practice?"
Mia and Melody rolled their eyes with a smile, "P2 in the first one, P3 in the second one."
"I should text him," I grabbed my phone to open the chat with my brother.
"Is him Charles or Max?" Mia laughed. "Because Max ended on P1 both times."
I sighed with a smile as I rolled my eyes to copy their actions, "Charles. I meant Charles."
It took a while before we were at Mia's apartment, she lived just outside Monte-Carlo, and a mere 100 meters from the French border. She had always lived there, and it was the reason why she got bullied in primary school and high school; she was the only girl not living in Monte Carlo.
She was also the only girl who stayed the same after Charles got more popular in racing. Where others would ask me for favours, either money or Charles-related, she couldn't care less about the changes in my family, but she saw my struggles as I tried to navigate through the new lifestyle I had to adapt to.
Mia kept checking in with me and asked to me come to her place to avoid the busy roads back to my family house. She really cared for me when other classmates only tried to gain something from me.
For Melody it was a different story, she knew who I was when Mia and I both entered our Marketing bachelor. Mia and I were already inseparable, a thing Melody noticed too. At first, she avoided us like most of the other classmates did, but immediately with the first project, she was forced to work with us.
"I really thought you two were bitches," She said one evening. We were working late to come up with a plan to lead the project to success, but all three of us didn't really understand the task and instead of trying to work it out, we opened a bottle of wine.
"A bitch?" I laughed, the three of us were tipsy.
"Yeah, I can't really explain it. Maybe it was a prejudice because of your last name."
The three of us became only closer during the first 8 months, but then my father passed away due to his cancer, and I dropped out of university.The pain of his loss was a heavy one to carry and all three of my brothers found their way to cope with losing him, I could barely get out of bed to even deal with daylight and the endless paparazzi outside the doorsteps.
Charles won F2 in his rookie season, immediately earning a spot in F1, and with that privacy barely existed anymore.
Mia came to check up on me the most, she told me about the current projects they had to do at school and asked if I would mind if she brought Melody over next time, she was worried about me too. So, the following day, Mia and Melody both stood at the front door.
And since then, the three of us became inseparable.
They eventually graduated from the bachelor, going through the thesis stress themselves. I started the creative arts bachelor, starting all over again with a study.
"Hello! Daydreamer?" Mia waved her hand in front of my face and I snapped out of my thoughts.
"Sorry," I chuckled. "Just lost in my thoughts."
"Yeah, it really seemed like that."
"Thinking about Max?" Melody teased and opened the car door for me to get out.
"Stop it," I warned them, I rolled my eyes at their annoying teasings. We entered Mia's apartment and she swiftly went to the kitchen. clincking glasses to prepare some refreshing drinks for us, while Melody settled on the couch.
"How are the things actually going with your thesis?" Melody inquired, leaning back comfortably and watching me as I joined her on the couch.
"Where to start," I chuckled. "The data is comprehensive, but organizing it into coherent reports is the real challenge."
Mia walked in, placing a tray with chilled drinks on the coffee table, "You'll do great, I believe in you. And remember, you can always ask us for help, whether it's proofreading or just being four listening ears."
"That is so very sweet of you two, I really appreciate it and I might even take you up for it when I finish writing it."
"Always," Melody leaned to me and gave me a soft side hug.
"Oh, look!" Mia grabbed the remote and turned on the tv. "They are featuring the Imola Grand Prix. Do we want to see the highlights of both practices?"
"I will let you two decide that," I replied. "You know I am always willing to rewatch them, but I can also do that tomorrow morning."
"No, put it on!" Melody clapped her hands and smiled at me. "I am very curious as to how Charles did."
Imola was an important race for Ferrari, just like the next race. Two home Grand Prix's in just 3 weeks' time, all because of the changed schedule this year.
"And speaking of racing," Mia said and she focused back on me, a mischievous glint in her eyes, "How is Max doing?"
I playfully rolled my eyes, "Mia, you and Melody are relentless with this Max thing."
"We just think it is fascinating. The whole racing world and your blossoming connecting with Max."
I shook my head laughing, "Blossoming connection? You two are making it sound like a novel plot. But in the meantime, I don't even know if I see something in him."
"You don't?"
"I don't know," I shrugged my shoulders. "I really enjoy his company, and he has been very sweet. He makes me feel like I am not just a Leclerc. But it is still early, we've been talking more, and texting more, but we've only had two or three dates and I don't know about you guys, but I don't fall in love in just 5 weeks. But, maybe I do have a little crush."
Mia grinned, "A little crush, you say?"
I laughed at their eagerness, "Yes, a tiny bit. It might develop into something more, it might not develop into something more. Which ever it is, it is refreshing to finally have someone to talk to who is genuinely interested in what I do."
Melody and Mia share knowing glances and scoff, pretending to be offended, "So, we are not enough?"
"You two are more then enough."
We spent the next hour catching up on the Grand Prix practices. The atmosphere was light and enjoyable, a perfect way to unwind after a day at the university.
"I am going to set the table, any objections again pasta pesto?"
"As long as it is not croccante," I said, both of my friends knew a bit too well about my brother's... cooking skills.
"I will help you," Melody offered and got of the couch.
I took a quick moment to check my phone, and a smile immediately tugged at the corners of my lips, "He just texted," I mentioned casually.
Mia peeked over her shoulders with a playful grin, "Ooh, there he is! What did he say?"
"Just asking about my day," I said, typing a quick response.
"He seems to care," Melody noticed, but I couldn't really pinpoint the tone in her voice. "Very thoughtful too."
"I think he does care," I licked my lips and for a moment thought about his lips on mine again. I had told my best friends immediately after we kissed what had happened, and they teased me for a whole week about the happening because not many people know someone's starsign, show them their starsign and then get kissed.
But I did.
Melody smiled at me and nodded, "Good."
"I just love how you two are getting so good along just because I send you on that dare," Mia grabbed the pesto, her smile was wide and she almost gave herself an appreciative tap on her shoulder.
"Yeah," Melody nodded. "Did you and Max actually talk or do things before that night?"
I shook my head, "No, not really. He was with Kelly back then and I basically hid myself from the public during the weekends I attended."
"And how long were they broken up for–?"
"Are you the FBI or what?" Mia interrupted Melody. "Let her just explore her feelings for Max."
Melody nodded and gave me a warm smile, I appreciated her attempt to look out for me, to see if there are any flaws.
"I don't know how long they've been broken up for. I just know it happened silently."
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71 days until summer break
Sunday - Raceday - Monaco
The morning sun cast a golden hue across my living room, I sat in the cozy nook of my apararment, savoring a hot cup of tea to start my morning. I have never really been a person who sleeps in, it wasn't really possible of you have two brothers who loved to spent every minute of every day at the karting track, and that included waking up their sister.
I sighed as I finished my tea, I knew I had to push myself to work on my thesis, but it was draining my energy in every way possible. But I kept reminding myself that it would be worth it after graduating.
The race was set to start in ten minutes, I grabbed my laptop to monitor Charles's onboard camera while putting the race also on the television, that's when my doorbell rang.
I quickly got up to see my mother on the security camera's, "Hello Maman, come on in!" With a short press on the button, I opened the door downstairs and made sure the front door was ajar for my mom to walk in.
I settled back on the couch and soon I heard the click of my door closing, "Hello darling," My mom said. "Sorry for coming unannounced, I thought maybe you'd like to watch the race together."
"Of course I would like that," I nodded and smiled at my mom. We never had a very close mom-daughter relationship, not like Charles had with her. I had always been a Daddy's girl, where ever my Dad was, was I. And even though he was busy with Charles' and Arthur's careers, he always made time for me.
My mom is my mom, I loved her and she loved me.