I will love you for always - [Charles Leclerc]

02

Grace
Saturday

After spending the day at the paddock yesterday I felt a lot calmer about going back today. Me and Corre actually had a good time. We watched the practices, talked old memories and laughed. And I didn't see him.

Today was Qualifying, which basically meant the drivers were racing to try and be quickest around the track. Whoever was quickest today would be starting first tomorrow, in the actual race.

Corre just explained this to me as we were walking the small distance from her apartment to the paddock. She didn't have to do so though. I had an old memory of someone else explaining it to me, still engraved in my mind. She couldn't know that though.

We arrived in only ten minutes of walking and the clock was around one. Qualifying started at three. I had no idea what we were doing here so early but Corre said she wanted me to meet some people she'd gotten to know.

She started walking to a group of three girls and when they saw us they all broke out in big smiles. Corre hugged each of them.

"Girls! This is my best friend, Grace." I smiled at the three girls and gave them all a hug as well.

"It's nice to meet you guys." They introduced themselves as Lily, Isa and Francisca, though she said to call her Kika.

We spent the following hour talking to the three girls and I learned that they were all here to support their boyfriends. Alex, Carlos and Pierre who each came up to us at some point to small talk a little.

It wasn't until Carlos approached us that I regained that uneasy feeling I had before this weekend. Not because of him, but because of what he said.

"Hola ladies." He grabbed a hold of Isa and gave her a quick kiss. As she introduced me and Corre I noticed he squinted his eyes at me for a second, almost like he recognized me from somewhere.

"Oh, Grace! I can't believe I didn't notice." I frowned at him.

"Notice what?" Then realization struck him and he went quiet again.

"No it was nothing. I have to leave but wish me good luck." Isa gave him another kiss before she turned to me.

"I'm sorry, he's always stressed during the race weekends. It's nothing to think about really." I just nodded slowly to Isa but it's not like I was stupid. I'd tried to keep my distance from the sport, but I hadn't been able to avoid everything of it.

I knew who Carlos's teammate was, and the fact that he knew who I was could only mean he'd heard about me from one specific person. Sure I was a known model, but he didn't look at me like he met a celebrity. He looked at me like he knew me, or like he'd heard about me from someone who knew me.

I sighed. I realized how hard this already was. Memories of my childhood came rushing back to me in a second.

"Yeah no worries, I understand. If you'll excuse me though I just need to find a bathroom." The girls nodded but before I left, Corre asked me quickly if I needed her to come a long, to which I replied that I should be good for a minute. I tell you the truth I just wanted a minute for myself to breathe.

I walked around the place, admiring it, taking it all in. It was a whole new world to me. When I finally found a sign to a bathroom I walked inside, locked the door and stared at my self in the mirror for a second.

I took a few breaths as I watched my brown, thick hair fall down over my shoulders. My brown eyes stared right back at me trough the glass.

When I walked out of the bathroom there was a line of people waiting to get in and I gave them an apologetic smile as I walked past them. Then I looked down, just wanting to get back to the girls.