Hidden. To Follow one's own path with the heart

5.

Carlos looked at me strangely, maybe he could make up his mind that I had apparently heard it, because he was just putting his fork aside. "Actually, I wanted to discuss this with you both" He took a deep breath, my and Lando's eyes were now resting on him. "I've been thinking for a long time about what to do next for me and even though I've probably found my best friends at McLaren" He winked at me in passing, took a deep breath "Have I decided to accept an offer from Ferrari?" Lando's eyes became big and suddenly empty. He was staring somewhere, just into the distance.

Carlos watched me and then looked at Lando, "This is great news Carlos! What an opportunity!" I tried to distract Carlos from Lando's sad reaction. Oh, it hit him deeper than I thought. Carlos looked at me gratefully, "Yes, it wasn't easy for me to make this decision either" He looked regretfully at Lando. who swallowed and stood up: "I. I need to get some fresh air" With these words, he disappeared from the hotel room. The silence that now spread here was so uncomfortable, I just stared at my hands. Until I took a deep breath and wanted to get up. "I should go after him." Carlos nodded, "Remember, you didn't do anything wrong," I told him as I packed my phone, "That was a good decision," he smiled at me once more in gratitude as I closed the door behind me.

What was wrong with my brother? It was clear that they couldn't work together all the time. You can't do that in this job. Or was it Charles?

I started to look for him inside the hotel, but no. When I asked at the front desk if he had come by, I was only told that she was not allowed to make any statement about it. It was clear to me that me and this blonde would definitely not be friends anymore. So without further ado I went outside: "Lando, where are you..." I looked around, a shiver ran down my spine as a gust shot past me. It was still really cold at night, despite the temperatures during the day.

I thought about going to the beach, but when I could see a backyard behind the next store and heard a big "Shit man!", I quickly ran there. I recognized Lando in the moonlight and distant street lamps. "Lando?" I asked cautiously. I saw his shoulders tremble, several garbage cans had tipped over next to him, I assumed that they probably didn't fall over on their own. "What are you doing here?" he asked in an equally trembling voice. I came up to him, "Why are you so angry?" He turned to me, "Why!? Because no one ever tells me anything, because everyone always leaves without letting me know before they decide!" I faltered.

It wasn't just about Carlos.

"Lando, the one from back in the day..." "Leave it Ellie, I want my peace. Just go" I flinched. He had only sent me away once so far, and then he had promised that he would never ask me again. "Lando..." My voice trembled as he walked past me and disappeared into the darkness. I said to the floor together, shocked by what had happened. How could it all happen so quickly? Why was I sitting here alone in a backyard next to overturned garbage cans?

"Elli?" I saw someone jogging up to me "Carlos! Please, go after Lando!" He looked at me indecisively, "I'm fine, only when Lando is so hot-headed..." He nodded slowly, turned around, and spoke softly to another person sitting next to me. I looked sadly at the floor, but then looked up in confusion when someone put a jacket on me. "Hey little intern" I had to smile "What are you doing here, Charles?"

The jacket was pleasantly warm and I enjoyed it. "I heard the garbage cans tipping over, and when Carlos was suddenly dissolved in the hallway... I don't know, I followed him and well, I'm here now" I realized that he didn't want an explanation and was glad he did.

How was I supposed to explain to him that Lando used to hate me for never accompanying him to his races, until he found out that our parents forbade me to do it, even threatened me with a lot of things?

That I ran away when he said I should disappear completely, because you wouldn't need a sister like me?

And the accident that happened... As I thought, I pulled my legs closer to my body.

"Do you want to wait at the hotel for your brother and Carlos to come back?" Charles looked at me. He was probably trying to assess the situation. If I was about to cry. if I'd rather wait for Lando here. And to be precise, I didn't know it myself, but I nodded anyway. So Charles stood up and took my hand to pull me up. "I hope Lando will be fit again by tomorrow and especially by Sunday" I looked over at him in surprise. I thought as a racer you would wish each other the plague to be able to win, well, except for teammates maybe. "I hope so, too," I said unexpectedly. Charles laughed briefly, "We can all stand each other quite well, as long as we don't know in the vehicle, you know?" I grinned slightly, "Well, if you say so. I mean, everyone likes Carlos, doesn't he?" I looked over for a moment when there was no answer from him, he looked surprised "So your internship is so close that you have such internal information?" I swallowed and just shrugged "Seems so" "Or is it because one of the drivers is your friend? Carlos? Lando, who is it?" I choked in amusement and just shook my head. But at the same moment that we were standing in front of the hotel and about to go inside, and Charles was about to answer, I recognized Lando and Carlos in a beam of light on the other side of the street. I stopped, looked over. "I should think I should go there," Charles nodded in understanding.

I took his jacket off my shoulders and handed him this "Thank you for everything and in case we don't see each other anymore; good luck" Charles took the jacket, smiled wryly and winked at me; "I think we'll see each other more often, little intern"