Against You

Sao Paulo

I do it and he does too, turning us from professional racing drivers into average teenagers on the street trying to look like gangsters.

"This is definitely against Grace's media training," I mumble as the cameraman makes his own rude gesture and drives away on his moped.

"Screw Grace. I don't want people knowing we went for a walk together."

"What? Why not?"

"Because I hate you, remember?" Oscar grins. "It's my whole brand now."

I roll my eyes but at that moment we're interrupted by a waitress.

"Can I help you young men?" she asks.

"Yeah, table for two," I say. Oscar looks quizzical but I just nod. "And can we sit somewhere private, please? We're celebrities."

Oscar POV

The restaurant we stumbled into turns out to be very upmarket, with private booths where no prying ears or paparazzi will get to us. I order a simple starter and a drink, trying to have mercy on my nutritionist who already wants to throttle me for how much forbidden food I can get through in a race weekend. I mean, how unfair is it that I travel the world for a job but I'm not allowed to try any of the local food?

Lando turns his nose up at most of the menu as the place specialises in fish, but he gets some sweet potato fries and a vegetable grill. Someone's clearly not watching their waistline.

"So, about Grace," he starts after the waitress has taken our orders to the kitchen.

"Yeah. I think she knows something's up. I mean, we aren't hating on each other nearly as much for a start. And remember in the US when you laughed at my joke during the press conference?"

"No, I don't remember that."

"Well it was a very validating moment for me. But seriously, if she wants to ruin our team she might start resorting to other tactics instead of just pitting us against each other."

"Like what? Do you think she could sabotage a car?"

"Maybe. I honestly have no idea what she's capable of."

Outside, an uncharacteristic storm brews up in the Brazilian hills. It's heading this way, so I guess we're going home in a taxi.

"So what are we supposed to do about it?" Lando asks. "Can we tell Zak Brown? Would he even believe us?"

Oscar shakes his head. "No, Grace is such a master manipulator I'm sure she could convince her father we're both lying. And let's face it, we don't exactly have the best reputation in the team right now. Nobody would thank us for trying to turn our personal problems on someone else."

Lando huffs, but he knows I'm right. Although Grace massively exacerbated things, the root of our issues with each other are still way back in Formula Renault. I swallow a lump in my throat, remembering it. I can tell Lando is too.

Our drinks arrive, giving us an out from that conversation. I marvel at the sweet and sour tang of my non-alcoholic daiquiri and Lando smiles as he drinks his ordinary lemonade. I watch him, looking as carefree as he was way back in that pub in England, and I realise the conversation needs to happen eventually. So why not do it now?

"Lando... I need to get something off my chest."

"What?"

"It's about what happened when we were younger."

Lando puts down his glass and looks at me strangely, almost as if he knows what I have to say. But he doesn't try to interrupt me, which I'm grateful for. I take a deep breath.

"Why didn't you come to see me?" I ask weakly.

"I'm sorry," he whispers. "It was a really weird time. I was young, I was so hurt and so sad at the same time I didn't know what to do."

"I know that," I nod. "But I needed you. I needed my best friend. Lying in that hospital bed, it was awful. It was like I lost everything all at once."

"Well you didn't," Lando says, voice hardening. "It was me who lost everything. When my dad died... I didn't know who I was anymore. Winning that title gave a piece of it back to me. I didn't want to go back to a hospital. I didn't want to think about him anymore."

I breathe shakily, pulling my drink to my lips for another taste. But the sourness seems overpowering now, and I have to put it down.

"I'm sorry about your father, Lando. I really am. I'm sorry I never supported you through that. I wanted to, but I was only a child and I was terrified of somehow making things worse. People kept telling me to give you space, give you time to process, but in the end I let that time stretch out for seven years. I put the wedge between us."

The waitress comes and places our plates before us, creating an awkward silence as we wait for her to leave. Lando's eyes rise to mine as she goes. They're filled with tears. "I didn't just lose my father that day. I lost my best friend, too. Him, and you."

"I'm really sorry."

Lando sniffs. "Me too. I was angry for so long. The pain faded, but..."

"But being put in a team together brought it all back up again."

"Yeah."

I sigh slightly, picking at my sea bass. I'm not hungry at all, food wasn't the reason we came here. With a loud creak, Lando stands up, pushing his chair backwards.

"Where are you going?"

He takes a couple of steps towards me and offers me his palm. I stare at it for a moment, then I stand up too. I look him in the eyes, and I shake his hand.

"Friends?" I ask.

"Friends," he replies.

And this time, nothing will come between us.