Destiny's Plan*A Lando Norris Story

Part 2

"Ta-daa!" Mick's jazz hands were about as enthusiastic as an elephant on a hot day. He was busy typing on his phone. 

"Wow... thank you." I widened my eyes at the massive blob of orange and black that found itself in my lap. I unraveled it, finally revealing that the blob was actually a very oversized jacket, that was tamped all over with different Formula 1 badges and patches. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "An F1 jacket?" I lifted it up completely to show my best friend, (and cousin), Indi. 

"Wooowww an F1 jacket! Very cool!" She said, her eyebrows also lifting but I knew it was in a different tone to mine. Mine were in confusion and surprise. Indi's was in excitement and anticipation. Indi had always been bad at hiding her emotions. "If only you had someplace to wear that!' She said, clasping her hands together and rocking back and forth on her feet. 

"Yeahhh..." I said, letting it drag out as I narrowed my eyes at my cousin who was standing across from me in our small apartment. Mick let out a singular laugh, still staring at his phone, as he sat at the kitchen bench.  Indi continued to beam at me. "Ok, what have you done?" Indi laughed as she walked towards me with a weird shimmy in her step that she does whenever she gets excited, presenting her with an envelope. 

"Here you are!" I gave her a weird look, before accepting the envelope and ripping it open, to find 2 tickets to the F1 up in Melbourne. 

"Oh my God are you insane??" I jumped up and hugged her tight as she laughed. 

"You're welcome! I know how much F1 meant to him, and the dates lined up so well I took it as a sign." Indi smiled kindly at me, but the smile was heavier than it looked. I smiled back, hugging her again, tighter this time. 

"Thank you." 

My dad had unfortunately passed away last year. In fact, his year death anniversary, (Is that what you call it?) was coming up this weekend. Which, just happened to be when the Melbourne race was on. He had been an F1 fan all his life. It was something we always bonded over. He worked as a postman for 30 years, supporting me through school and university, and being the kindest human being alive. To say I was heartbroken when he passed was an understatement. I was truly and utterly shattered. But now, almost a year later I'm getting by. And doing things like this, things I know he would've loved, always makes me feel closer to him. In any sort of way. 

"Don't thank me yet." She said, pulling away and giving me a weird look. "The flight to Melbourne is tomorrow at 3 am" My eyes bulged as she said this. 

"Are you kidding!?" I throw my arms up and race to my room, digging through my small closet to pull out the wrinkled duffel bag I use for traveling and shoving clothes into it without even looking. Indi laughs as she follows me. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Well, I wasn't sure if you had an interview this weekend! And I know you can't miss those and I didn't want to stress you out!" I pause for a second, agreeing with her in my mind, that would've stressed me out. 

I graduated from university not too long ago, and have had no luck finding a job since. 

"Ok ok ok, well it's like 9 pm now so I have ageess it is fine." I continue to shovel things into my bag. Indi just laughs and types on her phone. 

"It's ok, we will speed run this no stress." Suddenly, the Max Verstappen theme song begins to play, as she crouches next to me, pulling everything that I had shoveled into my bag out, and beginning to sort through it. I just laugh at her, as I finally take a breath and sit down with her. 

"Well... I'm gonna go." My head turns as Mark sticks his head in the door. I laugh. 

"Ah sorry. Thank you for the jacket though I'll make sure I get some good pictures." He just gives me a thumbs-up before walking out. I turn back to Indi who is sifting through clothes and folding them at record speed. "Jesus you really weren't joking." She pauses folding and looks up at me with a dead serious look. 

"I don't joke about Max Verstappen." I just nod my head as she tries not to laugh, and we proceed to pack my bag together.