Overshadowed (Lewis Hamilton X OC)

An interesting crash (Lewis)

I am currently in my hotel room. I am deep in thought as so to how I can help Liesel. The issue is I am not quite sure about how to go about my mission. The good thing is she is not refusing my help. There is a part of me that thinks food is a good idea. My hunch could be wrong but it is the best idea that I can come up with. I quickly made something up for her. As soon as the food is finished I package it. I find myself heading to the Schumacher holiday retreat. I hope that Liesel is there. I arrive to find that her family's car is still there. I am about to knock on the door with my free hand but the door opens before I can do anything.

"Hello Liesel," I greet the German. I can tell that she is surprised.

"Hello Lewis," She replies. She gestures for me to come in so I do. At least she seems to be in a slightly better mood.

"Sorry if I caught you by surprise but I was thinking we could go out," Liesel adds. I had a feeling that food was a bad idea so I quickly put it in the fridge. It is the least I could do.

"Well, you should get ready then," I say. Thankfully Liesel is quick to get ready. We soon find ourselves at one of the local restaurants. I soon came to the conclusion that Liesel is a regular here since the head chef has come out to greet us. I can see a slight smile on Liesel's face as the two catch up. I am glad that Toto sent me. Seeing her happy makes me happy. I can feel something stir within me as all of those thoughts swirl through my mind. I quickly dismiss the funny feeling. I know Liesel is putting on a brave face.

"Don't worry Giuseppe I'll be fine," Liesel replies to what was said before. Giuseppe's attention is soon drawn to me.

"You must be Lewis Hamilton," He announces.

"Yes," I say. I am guessing that he is a fan of Formula 1 or he has at least heard of me. Not that I care. Being recognised is just one part of the job that I have to live with.

"Well consider the food on the house," Giuseppe declares as he guides the two of us to a spare table. I try to protest but Giuseppe leaves before I can. As soon as Giuseppe leaves I notice that Liesel has gone back to being upset. I really want her to feel better but I know that I need a miracle for that to happen. My thoughts are interrupted by a sigh from Liesel.

"Sorry for the downcast mood but-,"

"Liesel, you don't have to apologise. It's ok to be upset," I cut her off. That statement reminds me of the time that I had to rescue her from her father at Monza. It puts a smile on my face. I can clearly picture Michael's face.

"What's the smile for?" Liesel timidly asks.

"I'm thinking of the time that I helped you after I caused you to spin at Monza," I reply.

"Nah I think it was what happened afterwards," Liesel retorts. She is right. The fact that I stood up for her made the situation funnier.

I am currently getting ready for what could be an interesting race. The reason why it will be interesting is because it is a wet race at a high-speed track. There is a flurry of activity in the Mclaren garage as the mechanics get the car ready for a wet race. I am not the only one who thinks it will be interesting. I approach Liesel who is currently bossing her mechanics around. I know that she wants the set-up to be perfect but she needs to relax.

"Liesel you should be preparing for the race," The team boss remarks as he joins us. He is not looking pleased but I put it down to the fact that a wet race is the most stressful kind of event.

"That's what I am doing," Liesel responds. I soon realise that she has the added pressure to perform since her father is here as a VIP.

"No you are getting the car ready," I beat the team boss to the response.

"Anyway I need the two of you to be careful," He gives us the final piece of advice. It doesn't take long for the race to start. I can feel the regret setting in already. I reckon this race is going to be short. I soon find myself in a three-way battle with Fernando and Liesel. I try my best to get past Fernando but the wet conditions are making it near impossible.

"Can someone warn Liesel to watch her front tires?" I use the radio to relay a warning to Liesel. I don't want her to get caught up when things inevitably go wrong. I glance out of my mirror to see if she has gotten the instructions and she has. She is pulling out but she must have hit a puddle. Unfortunately, her front tire contacts mine and forces us both out. As soon as the car comes to a stop I leap out so I can check on Liesel.

"Liesel, are you alright?" I ask as I offer my hand so she can use it to pull herself out.

"I should be," Liesel replies. I get the feeling that she will cop it from Michael. The only issue that we will be facing is the fact that our race suits are saturated with water. After a quick ride in the medical car, we are back at the garage. I am quick to snatch a towel from my trainer.

"I'm sorry for hitting you Lewis," Liesel apologises for some reason. I don't know why when I was the one that told her to back off.

"Don't worry about it," I say as I get to work on drying my face. I notice that Liesel looks like she has just thought of something. I'll ask her later. My suspicion of a short race is confirmed when they announce that the race will be red-flagged. I am quick to change into something dry. Afterwards, I find myself going to check on Liesel but I am stopped by the sound of frustrated voices.

"Look, Dad, you should know that the rain makes things harder," Liesel responds to whatever was said before. Well, it looks like I will have to stand up for her.

Michael, it was my fault. I put her in that position by trying to overtake Fernando," I jumped in. I know I am only telling a half-truth since I didn't push her into the puddle. That was her doing. I can feel the questioning glances from both Michael and Liesel. Thankfully Michael gets the answers that he wanted. He soon leaves. Like me, he knows that it would be a waste of time sticking around.

"Thank you for sticking up for me," Liesel thanks me for some reason.

"Don't worry about it. We are teammates after all," I responded.

I conclude the story with a slight smile on my face. The good thing is Giuseppe is quick with the food. Well, it is a good thing that it is the off-season since there is a lot of food. I put it down to the fact that Liesel and I are special guests.

"Thank you, Giuseppe," Liesel says.

"Don't worry about it, Liesel. Anything to cheer you up," Giuseppe remarks. At least I am not the only one who thinks food is a good start. We soon dig into the food but I spot a familiar face. Liesel is thinking about something. I have seen that look before. She is about to ask a question.

"Lewis, do you think we are more than just teammates?" Her question catches me off guard. I would never have expected her to ask. The thing is I know we are good friends but she is asking if we are more than friends. I will have to think about it. Oh boy I know there are feelings but I am still not sure.

"I don't know. I need time to answer that question," It is definitely not the answer she wants but I want to be sure. After thirty minutes of eating, Liesel and I decided to have a walk around the streets of Zurich. I find myself lost in my thoughts about the past couple of days. No wonder why she asked me if we were more than teammates. I have been a little too kind. Almost affectionate.

"Is there anything wrong lewis?" Liesel pulls me back to reality.

"No. I'm just thinking about your question," I reply. If she asks me again I won't deny it.

"Do you know the answer yet?" Liesel has decided to get the answer from you.

"I think there is something more but I will give it a couple of days," I say. At least it is a better answer than the last answer I gave. I find myself confused as Liesel lets out a giggle.

"What?" I am completely stumped by the sound that is coming out of her mouth.

"I'm just thinking when we first met I was sure we were going to be enemies but here we are as friends," Liesel explains. She is right. Now I understand. We have changed a lot since our karting days. Some would say for the better but I think that it is the understatement of the year. The changes have been interesting.