why do you hate me?

7- Monaco

24.05.2022-31.05.2022

I wake up to the sound of my phone alarm and find myself still sitting in the plane. I take a look at my watch and realise that we're probably already over Monaco and about to land. I look out of the window and smile.
Monaco is my home. With traveling around the world all the time it's sometimes hard to say that but for me Monaco will always be the place to be. I grew up here, Most of my memories with Paul were made in Monaco, I had my school friends here and I started racing in Monaco. Millane is currently studying in Monaco so she'll be here as well. Monaco is the place I will grow old one day, preferably in the house that I already own because it's my dream house but if that doesn't work out I would also be fine with something else. As long as it's in Monaco.

The plane lands a few minutes later and the moment I step out of it, Charles and I are surrounded with fans and Paparazzi. Normally I would try my best to just get away but today I don't really care.

"Lilly Thatcher and Charles Leclerc how does it feel to be home?"

"can we get a quick picture of the Ferrari team in their home country"

"can I have an autograph please I'm a huge fan" I smile at the little child and bow down to sign her Ferrari cap.
I take a few pictures with fans and sign some more t-shirts and caps before making my way out of the airport.

"Lilly here" I hear a familiar voice and turn around to see where my best friend is.
She's waiting by my car and I immediately run towards her.
"Millane I can't believe you picked me up" I hug her tightly not wanting to let go.

"I missed you too but if you keep going like that I'll suffocate and you need to look for a new best friend" she laughs  

"I'm sorry" I laugh back "it feels just so good to see you"

"alright you know what, we drive to your house and than you tell me what happened" she looks at me questioning.
I nod before holding out my hand for her to pass me the key to my loved car.

She hands them over knowing how much I hate when she drives while I'm on the passenger seat.
I smile at her before walking to the door and getting into my Ferrari.

It's completely black and has doors which open to the top. It has the beginning of the Monaco track outlined in a red white stripe on the left back. On the right side is a dull black 28 on it, my racing number. On the bottom of the drivers door is a sentence in white handwritten letters.
'maybe death is just part of the package'
It's something Paul always said to me. My parents didn't like the fact that I was risking my life every weekend and tried everything to stop me from racing. We often fought about it and when I was old enough they kicked me out saying something about me being a disappointment for the whole family. Paul was always by my side during that time and talked with me about the fact that I could die every other weekend. Of course I know that it's a risk. We all know that but if you love something so much, if you immerse yourself in it the way we do in racing you don't care what it does to you. I'd rather be killed by something that I love. I would give anything in this world to do what I do for every other day and to feel the happiness, the joy and everything that comes with it. And if loving that so much means that it's gonna kill me one day than so fucking be it. I don't care about it there are too many things that could get me killed so why shouldn't I hand my life into the hands of something that makes my life complete.
Like my brother said: Maybe death is just part of the package after all.

Well anyways with a special car like that it's hard to stay unrecognised and on our way back from the airport we meet a lot of fans.
After about half an hour we manage to reach my house and I can't help but smile at the feeling of being home.