The Undercut | Max Verstappen

Chapter 10

August 14th
Micah's POV

It's been a few days of complete peace, it's as if Max and I have reached an unspoken agreement to lay off each other's business and just help each other when it came to work. We've been filming every day, some days more than others, and for the rest of the time we simply make ourselves busy so we don't really have much time to interact. And it doesn't feel awkward, in a way, it almost starts to feel normal after a few days. You just get the hang of things and get into your own work routine, and you forget how weird it is that you're still living in a stranger's house, and you're being filmed 24/7.

Today is a very particular day, so I decide to slip out early and meet my friends out for breakfast. I manage to get up before Max, in an attempt to avoid any possible questions about why I had insisted on joining him on his workout later that day even though it was technically my day off. I didn't want today off, though. So instead I'd be joining Max, his trainer, the twins and Nick at the gym for another shooting session for the documentary. People were starting to get excited about it now. The last episode had gathered a couple million views already after just a few days of its release, and I was gaining a ton of followers and lovely messages about my work. It was odd, but I knew growing a following as a journalist was very important as it would surely help me land other jobs like this in the future. If people enjoyed my work and decided to pay attention to my career moves, it could only mean I was doing something right.

But today was just different. It was one of those days you simply have to tackle head on, no matter how much your brain is threatening to shut off on you. If I stayed in bed, then I knew the sheets were going to swallow me whole and I'd spiral all the way down into the depths of my unhealed wounds. So I grab my keys and leave through the front door, finding the twins in their rental car, waiting for me in the driveway. I make my way into the backseat. exchanging quick hellos before we're settling into a comfortable silence, only the sounds of the car's engine and the radio mulling softly in the background. I knew neither of them were ever sure of how to bring up the subject, but I also knew them too well to think they'd simply sweep it under the rug.

"How are you holding up there?" asked Winnie, making my eyes part from my phone screen.

I shrugged, a soft sigh leaving my lips. "It's never easy." I said simply.

"You should really take the day off." said Oliver, turning his head from the passenger seat to look directly at me. His stare was heavy and full of concern, it made me feel bad to drag them into this because I knew I wasn't the most fun person in the world during these days.

"I can't." I stated, shaking my head a little. "If I do I'm scared I'll lose it. It's claustrophobic inside that house."

He scoffed. "I'm sure it is with Mr. Know it all."

"He's actually not that bad." I say, almost instinctively, it takes me off guard too. "He's a little shit, sure. But he's not like, evil either."

"Sure." he says simply, and I'm begging for a change of topic.

"He doesn't have anything to do with it. It's just the fact that I'm not with my sister and I don't know anyone besides you guys here. I thought I'd appreciate the change of scenery but it just feels weird today..."

He looks down. "That makes sense."

"It's the anniversary of my mom's death and all this time it's kinda felt like my sister and I are the only ones who care. My dad is too busy pretending we don't exist. And now I'm not even there to visit her grave. It feels like I'm betraying her somehow, which I know sounds stupid but..."

"It's not." he interrupts me and a small accompanies the shake of my head.

"I know. But yeah, if I stay in today I'll probably feel even worse for not being home. I have to at least make it worth it, you know?" I explain.