My Formula 1 System

The phone call had been short between speaker and recipient, a very brief pleasantry exchanged before the main context was hurriedly shared. Luca's voice was calm and low as he told Mallow he would be waiting.

After Mallow cut the call, Luca walked stiffly to the bathroom in his room and approached the sink. He twisted the tap on and repeatedly cupped water in his palms to splash on his face. Of course, he felt the water make large contacts with the scars, appearing like water on an oily surface, but he didn't mind, nor did he feel anything.

To Luca, it seemed he had stopped feeling actual external physical pains, or maybe his tolerance to them now was implausibly high.

He brushed his teeth mechanically, no smile on his face because he couldn't recognize his reflection in the mirror. There was literally nothing to smile about as long as his mother and Sophia were not in the room.

When he was done brushing, he rinsed again. As he bent, his shoulders flexed, the burnt scars on the left side of his neck stretching like red chewing gum, a bit visibly disgusting. However, since the system had assured him this horridness would heal—though he'd be left with line scars—Luca wasn't bothered about how he currently looked.

Afterwards, he put on a light black singlet made of a very thin fabric, so he could give the air a chance to touch the raw skin and speed up the healing process. After that, he walked out of the room. Forgetting his slippers, he returned, put them on, and walked out again into the rest of the house.

Luca would be honest when he said he missed Isabella's presence in the villa, and he preferred it much more than his mother and Sophia's. He had already created a living arrangement where they would stay in Clapham, and after everyone's consent like he had planned, he and Isabella had this villa. So, things were a bit skewed now.

Moreover, Isabella had just started school, starting earlier in order to epitomize the missed first half of the semester and then merge with the others in the second half. Luca didn't want his own life hardships to affect hers, so he ordered her to stay in school. Isabella wasn't willing, so he had to keep up a lie that he was still in Spain receiving treatment, thereby making her believe he was not easily reachable.

In the meanwhile, Mrs. Rennick and Sophia were there in the villa to help him through this tough time. Mrs. Rennick was angry, hopeless, and sorrowful, while Sophia was just… Sophia.

Luca saw her at the main door he was heading towards. A bright smile was on her face and a shopping bag already hung from her wrist, a dress so beautiful framing her body, you could tell it wasn't just in hundreds she planned to splurge today.

"Mom disagreed to go?" Luca asked.

"Yes. She's a stubborn old lady."

Luca nodded in approval and motioned that they step outside of the house. "Who will drive you then? You can't drive yourself yet… and I hope you're not with my key?"

Sophia shook her head vigorously and took quicker steps across the big premises toward the gate. The key to the Jaguar was right in her purse, and her plan was completely ruined, so she sighed inwardly and turned around.

"I'll call my friend to come pick me up at the Vigette Junction. He'll drive me to the market and back."

"He?" Luca's brow rose. "You have a boyfriend now?"

Sophia chuckled mischievously as she made her way down the stone steps that directly led to the gate from the pedestrian side. Luca followed her out of the premises, his scars in full exposure to the paradise surrounding them.

"I said 'friend' not 'boyfriend,' Luca," Sophia said with a laugh as she strode away and down the hill. "Boys are easy to use."

Luca stood at the top and watched her descend with semi-heels. Her braid switched left and right, down the gently sloping hill before she disappeared with a wave at a corner blossoming with olive trees.

Forgetting about why he actually came outside except for escorting Sophia, Luca decided to use this moment to connect with nature; close his eyes, take in the deep breath, open his eyes just slightly to see the shimmering sun rays. The gentle breeze carried the smell of the olive trees, the sound of birds chirping far away. It was a simple moment he could afford to enjoy even with everything else going on.

But before he could do any of that, Mallow's car emerged three seconds later from that same corner Sophia had just cut into. Luca quickly hurried those meditative steps while Mallow took his time to roll the car into the villa's courtyard.

Sara was the first to get out of the car, and as far as Luca recalled, this was the first time she was actually giving him a hug in his life. Mallow, on the other hand, lingered at the driver's door, and Luca had to walk up to him to share a more masculine embrace.

*****

Mrs. Rennick understood the importance of a splendid welcome for a visitor in one's home, so she quickly made sure everything was in place for Sara and Mallow's arrival. She arranged fresh drinks and tidied up the already pristine living room, creating an atmosphere of hospitality.

However, when the three of them finally settled down in the main living room to begin discussing the purpose of today's meeting, Mrs. Rennick couldn't help but voice her thoughts from the doorway where she stood, clearly eavesdropping and scrutinizing them.

"I hope you're not discussing about when Luca will enter one of those cars to race. Because he's never racing again. He's never."

Luca sighed and calmly asked his mother to give them some privacy, but that only provoked her further as she pointed fingers at Mallow as if he was the cause of the Spanish Grand Prix accident.

Well, it was understandable. She had seen Mallow countless times, ever since Luca first began his racing career. In her mind, every responsibility weighed down on Mallow's shoulders, and now, she felt he had gravely failed her son.

"Look at what you people have done to my son! MY FIRST AND ONLY SON! You see him as just another driver, but he's my boy! He has a life and a future! He will NEVER enter one of those cars again! Never!"

Luca tried to calm his mother down, but she wouldn't budge. Her voice kept rising, her words punctuated by tears that shone in her eyes.

To diffuse the tension, Luca took Mallow outside to the open fields while Sara stayed behind to comfort the grieving woman.

Mallow looked at Luca once they were far enough from Mrs. Rennick's words, allowing the air around them to regain some calm.

"Your injuries are not too severe to force you into retirement," he said with a steady tone. "But they are enough to give you a reason if you choose to. You know, whether you never drive again or still drive depends solely on your decision. Tell me anything, and I'd work towards it right away."

Luca let out a deep sigh, rubbing his temple in dismissal of any thought of retiring just because of the burn scars. He was still a Formula 1 driver, and until the FIA themselves declared him unfit to compete, he would never come to such a conclusion on his own.

The two resumed walking slowly, their hands tucked in their pockets, their shadows long and trailing behind them.

"The burial will be held next week in Baden-Württemberg there in Germany. I'll start arrangements for our flight there in four days time," Mallow announced. He didn't hesitate to make it clear that arrangements were already underway because he had no doubt that Luca would want to attend.

Luca's face darkened into grim, but he kept his gaze ahead and nodded heavily.

"The Spanish Grand Prix was cancelled, and the Qatar Grand Prix has also been cancelled."

"The FIA has also decided to cancel all podium celebrations for the remainder of the season. There will be no podiums for the next four races."

"The tribute will continue until the start of next season," Mallow added, taking a deep breath before going on. He was respecting his client's instructions to keep him updated with everything that was currently happening.

"This is not an attack or an accusation towards you," Mallow said softly. "But the FIA stated that if his helmet had been on, his racing suit might have endured most of the explosion's damage. The autopsy also confirmed that he was already close to suffocation, and if you hadn't swooped in, he would have still suffocated."

"Moreover, Trampos has been heavily fined for poor fixation of the coolant hose and fuel line, which caused its easy leakage. Plus, the team doesn't have specially ventilated helmets like Jackson does, but they weren't fined for that…"

Luca, who had been silent, finally inquired about what was gnawing at him. "What about what I asked you to report?" he asked. "About Marcellus," he specified.

"I'm on it, son. These things take time," Mallow reassured him before deciding to ask his own question. "Are you sure your teammate was on the juice in Spain?"

Luca thought back to how Rodnick had been behaving lately, his increasingly erratic demeanor and the desperate look in his eyes. He also considered how possible it was that Rodnick would adopt such a dangerous medium, knowing his F1 championship title was slipping from his grasp.

Luca nodded exhaustedly.