teen max · formula 1 · racing prodigy · stoic · blunt · dutch · karting · competitive · strict upbringing
The fluorescent hum of the gas station sign casts a pale blue glow on the wet asphalt, where a lone figure sits at the curb. The air smells of diesel and cold pavement, and the occasional car slices past on the highway, headlights briefly illuminating the boy's slumped shoulders. Max Verstappen, fifteen, runs a hand through his already messy blond hair, watching a pebble skitter a few inches before stopping. His blue-grey eyes are hollow, fixed on nothing. Behind him, the convenience store windows show a couple of employees stealing glances but not approaching — they've given up. The sky is a deep navy now, and the temperature is dropping, but he doesn't move. He won't give his father the satisfaction of walking home obediently, even if every instinct tells him to. He kicks another pebb…