Eighteen // Pierre Gasly

21

Juliet went to the track the next morning and the minute she walked through the paddock she could feel the tense atmosphere around the place.

She could feel the stares and could hear the whispers as she walked towards the Toro Rosso motorhome where she was meeting her mother, brother and Pierre.

The difference she felt walking into the paddock was immense. Yesterday she walked in with her brother laughing and joking. Now she was walking in alone wondering how so much had changed so quickly.

She found her mother and brother sitting across from her boyfriend and Anthoine's helmet resting on the table in the middle.

"Hey guys." Juliet spoke causing the three faces to look up at her. It was clear they all felt the same way she did and it was evident in their eyes.

"You ready to go?" Pierre wondered looking up at his girlfriend.

"Yeh, let's go." Juliet nodded in reply causing the three to stand up and Louis grabbed the helmet from the table.

The four walked towards the pit lane along with many others from the paddock. Teams were gathered around at the end of the pit lane for a moment of silence before the F1 race.

Pierre placed a small kiss on the top of her head before walking to join his fellow Formula One drivers as Juliet stood in the middle of the semi circle with her family.

Louis placed Anthoine's helmet on the table in the middle of everyone and walked to stand between his mother and younger sister.

Surrounding them was Anthoine's team, his fellow Formula two drivers and teams, and everyone else from the paddock.

The entire formula one community and its supporting series stood in silence mourning the loss of a bright young star who tragically lost his life doing what he loved.

"Today we stand in honour of Anthoine Hubert who tragically lost his life yesterday. Anthoine was most certainly one to watch in the future and commuted his life to motorsport. His death serves as a tragic reminder of just how danger this sport can be and what the drivers risk every day by getting into that car. But to Anthoine, like many others, it was passion and love that got him behind the wheel every day. Repose en paix, Anthoine." FIA president, Jean Todt, spoke before a silence fell around Spa.

The minute of silence ended with an applause after pictures were shown of Anthoine on the screens of different moments through his career and his podiums this year.

Juliet could feel the tears behind her sunglasses that she and her family were all wearing in hope of blocking out the tears but she could feel them falling down her check. She lifted her hand and wiped them away as her brother wrapped his arm around her.

She held him tightly as all she could think about was Anthoine and how she'd never get to hug him again, or even see him again for that matter.

"Are you okay?" Louis whispered in her ear as people started to move around them.

"No." Juliet replied simply as she rested her head on his chest.

"Me too." Louis said before placing a kiss on the top of her head and holding her as tight as he possible could. They were all each other had now. 

Three had become two.

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Juliet sat in a park nearby the track on a bench underneath a bridge by a river. She listened to the sound of the river flowing as she tucked her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on the top of her knees.

She hadn't stopped crying since she left the track. She actually left not long after the minute of silence as she couldn't bring herself to stay there any long then she had to,

She left before the Formula One race started and it was now over and she had no idea how it ended or where Pierre had finished.

Juliet had been sat there for nearly three hours and not one person had walked passed so the sound of feet walking on the leaves caught her attention.

She looked up and saw her mother standing there. The pair made eye contact and without saying anything the older woman walked forward and took a seat next to her daughter.

"Oh sweetie. I know it hurts." Nathaile said as she wrapped a comforting arm around her mother.

Juliet knew she had been selfish leaving the track and also leaving her mother and brother alone there. She knew she should've stayed but the thought of having to watch Pierre go around that corner 44 times and not know whether or not he'd come out on the other side.

"I'm sorry I left you and Louis there." Juliet apologised as she lifted her head from her mother's shoulder.

"It's okay. We understood." Her mother assured her with a soft smile although Juliet could see the pain behind her eyes. "There's someone who wants do see you."

Juliet looked over and saw Pierre standing with his hands tucked into the pockets of his trousers after watching the emotional interaction between mother and daughter.

"Thanks mum." Juliet spoke. He mother placed a kiss on her cheek before walking back past the F1 driver towards the car.

"Hey." Pierre said as he walked towards her and Juliet knew that he was feeling as awful as she was.

She stood up and immediately walked into his arms wrapping his arm tightly around his waist as his arms wrapped themselves around her shoulders.

They stood like that for a few minutes before taking a seat on the bench. There was a silence between them as they say like neither knew what to say as they weren't sure what the other was thinking.

After sitting in silence for a further couple of minutes Pierre let out a sigh as Juliet continued to play with the bracelet on her wrist that has been an 18th birthday present from her two brothers.

"Jules."

Juliet stopped fiddling with her bracelet and let it fall naturally on her wrist. She lifted her head until her eyes made contact with the Frenchman sitting next to her.

"Marry me."

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