Page 5 of Homecoming

I watched people scurrying off from the grid and focused on the lights above me.

One by one the red lights turned on, and in the next blink, they were off.

I pushed the pedal down and with that simple move, the Formula One season started.

“First, congratulations on your win, Ian,” the reporter said.

After over three hours in the car, the screams of the tires on the hot asphalt, Kevin’s shouts throughout the race, and the fireworks after, I had trouble hearing the man.

“Thank you,” I murmured into the mic, giving the man a polite smile.

I was sitting between two other drivers, trying to get through this interview. We were in the same exact spots as we were standing on the podium.

“Can you tell me how it feels? And what are your expectations for this season?”

The same old question as last year. It was a wonder anyone ever watched these conferences. It was the same stuff again and again. I cleared my throat and gave the same generic answer.

“As ever, it feels amazing. You never get used to claiming that checkered flag. It’s the thing you’re focused on, day in and day out. It’s the goal. To win. I’m positive it’s the same for every driver out there.” I looked on either side of me, getting nods from the drivers.

“Except you keep taking the dream away from us,” Lance, on my right, said through his chuckles.

I laughed, but then focused back on the reporter and answered the second question, “As for the season, it’s just started. But we have a great car and the most amazing group of people. We feel quite confident that we’re going to keep going as we started. Granted, there are twenty-one races in the season. So, we just have to make sure we win the next twenty.”

For some reason, that answer got a laugh.

I didn’t see why when every word I said was true.

If we were to get what we wanted, we needed to make damn sure to win every race.

“So, you’re confident you'll win your third championship?” another reporter asked.

Without hesitation, I said, “Absolutely.” There was no question in my mind. It was a year we were going to get it. And I say we because there wasn’t just me. It was a team effort. And going into this season, we promised ourselves that was the year we’ll get it. God knew we deserved it. The previous year has been rough, but we were back on track.

As the reporters asked the other two men questions, the phone in my pocket started vibrating, reminding me I had a text I was consciously ignoring.

Fuck, I didn’t need the trouble it would undoubtedly bring when I opened it.

I had no room for distractions. The season had to have my full attention.

“All right, thank you, gentlemen. It was a good race, and we wish you a successful season,” the moderator marked the end of the conference.

Now, it was time for a debrief, and maybe then I could get some downtime.

The adrenaline was still high and I needed to crash so I could prepare for practice the next day.

“You know that was a lucky shot, and I’m going to get you, right?” Lance came up from behind me, throwing his arm around my shoulders and shaking me a little.

He was on the team of our direct rivals, we were jostling for positions, with a difference of two to three points for three seasons now. Most people thought we couldn’t stand each other, and sure, we liked to fuel that fire, finding it hilarious.

But Lance was actually my closest friend, after Kevin.

We had started around the same time, getting called into this privileged club of Formula One drivers two days apart. Lance got here first, a fact he liked to remind me of almost daily, but it was all in good fun. I knew nothing could come between us. Once you go through the rookie season shoulder-to-shoulder with a man, you form a bond that’s unbreakable.

“In your dreams, buddy,” I pushed his arm off me, knowing that reporters were behind us, and in the evening that would be the biggest news in the sports section.

Not the win I claimed today, or the crash that happened in lap thirty-six, but the fact that I pushed Lance’s arm in what could be perceived as a hostile manner.

“So it’s going to be like that, huh?”