𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒: 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐊 | 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐬

[ 017 ]

'I drink alcohol to drown my problems, unfortunately my problems are damn good swimmers.'
- Unknown

They stepped from one leg to the other to the beat of the music, while she sucked on her long drink Tequila Sunrise. She was already very warm, her vision was blurry and she felt lighter again. Her emotions were pushed down by the alcohol. Her thoughts had stopped. Problems and fears off the screen.

Like Wednesday when she was at a bar with three friends, including Héliose, to celebrate a birthday. She didn't want to at first, but had no strength to contradict, so Luise had gone along, but had come home heavily drunk.

In order not to let her brothers know, she had gone to her apartment for the first time after her breakdown and had spent the night there. And she actually hadn't cared that she was alone. That day she had realized how relieving it was to be drunk. That it was relieving when she could put her problems, emotions and fears in the background. Had noticed what alcohol did to a person. Had noticed why many reached for alcohol. Because they could forget problems and worries with alcohol and be carefree and happy for once in their lives.     

Today they had gone to the club again because there was a special party. Héliose and Alina loved it when there were any special events in the club and had thus always been there. Luise had also decided to come along because she had noticed how relaxed she had been. And indeed, the effect was the same.

The music vibrated through the club, she drank one shot after another and danced wildly with Héliose and Alina on the dance floor. Her two friends had been just as drunk as she was, which is why they hardly noticed their surroundings and were only focused on the music and the alcohol.

Only when two men came up to them and grabbed Luise's shoulder, she flinched, wheeled around and was frightened for a moment. It took her several moments before she realized who was standing in front of her.

"Hey Luise." smiled an equally drunk Daniel Ricciardo with a wide smile.

"Hey." she said in confusion, glancing over at an equally confused looking Lando Norris standing next to his rocking friend. Lando had a water glass in his hand, meanwhile Daniel was pulling on a straw and sipping alcohol.

"How come we run into you here?" asked Daniel, who apparently wasn't as drunk as she thought after all.

"Well." she said at length, taking one pull of her Tequila Sunrise, "There's a special event and tons of alcohol."

She smiled broadly, swaying a bit in the same moment.

"And why are you both here?" she emphasized the words both and here heavily.

"We're both...", Daniel pointed to himself and Lando, "here with Max, Kelly and Heidi. And besides, there's a great event here with alcohol."

"That's great.", she took another pull on the straw and smiled.

For a few seconds it was silent around the three of them. They just looked at each other and were silent. Lando still looked confused. Daniel smiled at them and Luise smile disappeared bit by bit.

"Will we see each other again on Monday?", Daniel now yelled against the loud music.

"Why?" she asked, puzzled.

"We're flying to Miami."

"Oh, that's right. Yeah-" she swallowed and her smile disappeared, "Yeah, I'll be there. Even if I don't really like to."

She shrugged, recognizing a pitying look on Daniel's face. Did he know about her story? Had he seen her Instagram post, too? She didn't know. But she strongly assumed he had. Just because they were Formula 1 drivers didn't mean they lived behind the moon and weren't on social media. So many would now know about her trauma, too, when she flew to Miami with them on Monday. She just hoped she didn't get any pity messages.