Page 11 of Away We Go

It has been nine days since the Melbourne Grand Prix and in that time, I’ve been getting the last pieces of my life sorted so I can leave for the next ten months without looking back. Plants have been donated to friends, last-minute bills paid and my mail forwarded, and the meagre belongings left in my apartment stuffed into my parent’s backyard shed. It’s strange how little a person needs when they know they will cart it around the globe forthe better part of ten months of the year. Without somewhere to call home for the foreseeable future, I’m down to the bare bones of essentials. And it’s as freeing as it is terrifying.

My phone vibrates in my hand, and I peel my white-knuckled fingers from my armrest and open my WhatsApp app. Tanya, my best friend since forever, has been keeping me company through the last few hours of the flight, gaining a million brownie points for waking up early and texting me through my anxiety. She’s the sort of friend who knows I struggle to sleep on planes and will reach out to make sure I’m okay.

But I won’t be fully okay until the wheels of this plane hit the tarmac without us exploding on impact.It’s dark in my thoughts sometimes.

Tanya

So, you’re really not interested in knowing what the internet is saying?

She’s been texting me this for about an hour now, not taking no for an answer.

Cherry

NO!

Tanya

But I’m dying to talk about it.

The ‘it’ she’s referring to is the flurry of photos of me from the Melbourne GP that have taken over the F1 social media. Tanya was the first to bring it to my attention the morning after Nicky’s race win and has been bugging me about it ever since.

Tanya

You really don’t want to know what the world is saying about you?

AND NICKY?

My stomach twists as I read her message. This is the problem. The keyboard warriors aren’t just talking about me, they’re talking about me and Nicky.Together.

It all stemmed from photos taken of the two of us that Thursday morning when he had grabbed my wrist and pulled me in close. In the pictures he’s looking all protective and fierce, so it looks like something is happening between us, but what the world doesn’t know is he has a history of looking at me like that. Like a big brother.

Cherry

I really, really, really don’t want to know.

Like really.

When she’d sent me the first round of screenshots, I’d devoured every frame, every word, every caption written. And then, as quickly as I’d started, I’d stopped. Because what they were speculating about us was so far from the truth, it’s embarrassing.

I’m not sure how I’m going to look Nicky in the eye this weekend when I see him. Only one race into the season and I’m already causing trouble for him.

Tanya

Fine. I’ll let it go, for now.

She sends five more screenshots, this time of photos captured over the rest of the weekend. Each one is of me and Nicky orbiting around each other. Each one was more innocent than the other. Each one more damning than the other.Apparently.

Tanya

Sorry, I couldn’t help it.

I’m done now.

Are you almost there?

I look at the plane on the screen in front of me. Estimated time to arrival: five minutes.

Cherry

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