All the Way - an F1 story

44

10 November , 2021
📍São Paulo, Brazil

"Jesus Christ, it took you long enough!"

Lewis rolled his eyes as he approached Calina, who was sitting comfortably in one of the hotel lobby's armchairs with her book, surrounded by the communications teams of both Mercedes and Pagani.

"You know we're all waiting for you," Calina said, her voice a mocking tone of disappointment. "How was the extra rest, Sleeping Beauty?"

"You know, you are such a pest," Lewis smirked, flicking the younger driver in the forehead before falling into the chair beside her. His eyes fell on the cover of her book. "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck? What the hell?"

"It's a very enlightening read. Helped me realise I have bigger things to worry about than the bullshit this goddamn sport puts me through."

Lewis threw his head back, a giggle bubbling out of him.

"That's a good point. Maybe I'll borrow that after."

"Oi!" Marilena was there, still on a phone call but nevertheless ready to boss the two drivers around, gesturing for them to get up and out into the waiting S.U.V.

"Did you brush up on your Portuguese or what?"

"How many do you know now, Cal. Five?"

"No, like, four—but you can't even count my Portuguese, it's not like it's that good."

"Where are we going anyway?" Lewis asked once they were all settled, the driver wasting no time in departing. "I agreed to come but I would like to know what it is we're doing."

"Some local schools are doing a sports day and were wondering if a few drivers could show up, and they were specifically hoping for you two," Marilena explained. From the information Calina had received, the school wasn't far from them, somewhat in between the hotel and the track, so it was close enough that she and Lewis could make it in time to their press conference later on while getting to spend as much time as possible with the kids. "From what I understand, there will be other athletes there as well; some footballers, a few Olympians."

"A really good friend of mine went to one of the schools growing up. Her dad is a teacher there now, and this event is something they organise every year because a lot of these kids, they..."

"Come from a bit of a difficult situation, huh?" Lewis sighed heavily. "And your friend, she'll be there?"

"Yeah," Calina replied. "This means a lot to her, and she loves seeing these kids."

The building itself was quite small; simple bricks, though covered with bright, lively murals of children playing. There was a young woman waiting outside for them. She was a bit taller than Calina herself, but younger, dressed in simple jean shorts and a bright yellow jersey of the Brazil national team, the number 24 emblazoned on the front in bright green, with her tight curls tied up in a colourful bandana and her nose stud glinting in the morning sunlight against her bronze skin. It had been some time since Calina had last seen her former teammate, and she had seemed to change so much since then, and yet was the same all at once.

The younger woman engulfed Calina in a hug as soon as she and Lewis stepped out of the car.

"Fuck, Cassie, give me a second to breathe."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she mumbled quickly into Calina's shoulder. "Senti sua falta como uma louca, Cal."

Calina sighed, but smiled. Much like Vienna, Cassia, though friends with the twins, was just as close with Calina, the two having once been teammates, but Cassia was more like a sister, than anything.