Race till the end-formula 1

4

Nice soft music was playing in the restaurant, the drivers were seated at a long table. There were soft clanks of dishware and glasses. Carlos sat next to Lando at the end of the table, with Max Pierre, and Daniel in front of him. He wasn't in the mood to socialize. Lando was conversing with George, who was sitting next to him. Pierre was conversing with Max and Charles. So Carlos settled in and downed his wine in silence. It was his third glass, but he wasn't keeping track.

"Isn't Amadeus coming?" Daniel inquired after some silence.

Carlos was taken aback by the question, since when did Daniel talk to Amadeus?

"Ah no, he's a bit tired and needed some sleep to clear his head"

That was a lie. 

Carlos dropped him off in his hotel room, Amadeus was wide awake having a catch-up session with Reyes, which entails deep heart to hearts, gossip, and many cocktails, so naturally he just didn't want to go out.

He saw Daniel's smile drop slightly. as he hesitated to get his next sentence out.

"I don't want to pry, but I saw him get sick after the race, is he okay?"

Carlos grimaced slightly as a result of this. 

"It was just a stomach ache, he felt a little sick, but he's fine, my mother is staying with him."

Daniel nodded slowly.

Carlos was unaware that both Max and Lando were listening in on the conversation. But one was better at hiding it than the other.

"How did you and Amadeus become friends by the way, you didn't kart in the same category," Lando asked.

Carlos smiled as he remembered the summers he and Amadeus spent together as children.

"ah, I knew him before all of that, family friends... Gabriel, Amadeus's dad was a sailor, in the summers we would always see him in Mallorca. One summer Gabriel showed up with a little boy maybe six years old. Ever since then every summer we would go to Mallorca and Amadeus would be there with his dad."

"Ah yes, I remember his dad he only came to a few kart races but when he did, the nicest person in the world, he would cheer for every single kid...it was impressive he could remember our names really, he would let Amadeus hang out with us after...was mostly his mother around the other times," Pierre said

Carlos cleared his throat before responding

"Yeah you know, it was more his mother's thing," Carlos said

"How is he?" Max whispered to Carlos his voice even but Daniel could recognize the slight doubt in the way he asked.

Carlos gave a small laugh. 

"Now you care eh?" Carlo's voice had turned icy and defensive all of a sudden

Max huffed storming off.

carlos saw the way Daniel's lips pursed like he knew why Carlos had suddenly gone tense.

the atmosphere was unbearable now

"so you guys basically grew up together," Lando says suddenly not recognizing the change in energy.

thank god for Lando.

"yeah he's like my little brother," Carlos said proudly.

"you have baby pictures?"

That seemed to fix things now they were all looking at Carlos expectingly waiting to see baby Carlos and Amadeus

Carlos was relieved at the change of tone and got out his phone opening one of the folders where he had all their old photos.

the photo was of Amadeus and Carlos around 6 and 8 eating ice cream on the beach.