Adrenaline: A Lestappen Story

𝟔 - 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞

As Lando stepped into the elevator, a palpable tension enveloped him. The encounter with Max had stirred emotions that he had been trying valiantly to contain. His eyes, still bearing the traces of earlier tears, reflected a struggle against the impending wave of emotions.

The elevator doors closed, providing a momentary sanctuary. He clenched his jaw, a subtle effort to stave off the tears threatening to well up once more. The weight of unspoken sentiments lingered heavily, and Lando navigated this delicate emotional terrain with a silent acknowledgment of the need to shield his vulnerability.

Finally left to his own accord, Max walked to the other end of the corridor where Charles's room was. Knocking a couple of times on the door, the blond waited quietly for the other to answer.

In the realm of self-evaluation, Charles found a domain where his proficiency surpassed even his racing prowess — the art of disappointing himself. Unspoken and unacknowledged by others, the weight of his perceived letdowns pressed upon him, casting a shadow over his achievements.

He could have spent an entire day, a mantra of reassurance on his lips, iterating that the mishaps on the track weren't within his control. Yet, an insidious question lingered: why was it always him? The unanswered query echoed through his thoughts, an undercurrent of frustration tainting the reassurances he offered himself.

Even without checking his phone he knew social media was already plastered with the jokes about his bad luck and the misery that Ferrari has brought him but that's not how he saw it. There was nothing he wanted more than to be their next World Champion and even when the mess ups were not on his end, he was desperately afraid of everyone losing the fate they had in him.

When the knock on the door finally came, the man broke himself away from his thoughts and although he knew it would be Max, the boy still put on a little bit of a performance; not wanting the Redbull driver to pity him. A facade of a smile adorned Charles' lips, a counterfeit expression that fell short of reaching the sincerity reflected in his eyes. As he swung the door open, a fleeting glimpse of Max's face unfolded before him. In that moment, a subtle flutter coursed through his heartbeat, a reminder of the anxious anticipation that had characterized his search for Max before the unfortunate incident.

Even if Max's visit promised nothing more than a brief conversation, Charles found an unexpected solace in his presence. The contours of familiarity and the unspoken understanding shared between them offered a comforting balm to the tumultuous emotions swirling within Charles.

"You were really good out there, sadly I was already giving interviews before the first timer even ended," Charles said, making light of his situation and thinking that if he made fun of himself first then he'd beat the other person to the punch line. Yet, by the look on Max's face it seemed like he wasn't going to poke fun at him.
"Before that, I was thinking of you however," Charles added, wanting to draw attention away before the sadness could settle on him again but the follow up wasn't any better and now he was slightly embarrassed to have admitted to it.

"Are you okay?" Max's inquiry cut through the air, a genuine concern evident in his eyes as he turned to face the Ferrari driver after walking into the room. "You ended up placing way back at 19, I heard."

In order to answer the question, Charles had to redirect his gaze, not wanting to be looking directly at Max while explaining the situation that still felt like a fresh wound. Charles knew it wasn't the end of the world but starting off so far back on the grid was never something that excited anyone.
"I had no grip, or that's what I thought at first. At first I thought it was to do with the tires but even on the second set there was clearly still an issue," He explained without a second thought, talking to Max like a friend and not as someone who was on an opposing team.