Heart of Gold | L.N. - Part One

XXII

Leah had her interviews today, but she got them done fast. Most of the questions weren't about the race today so she didn't care. She met up with Isabella and spoke with her before getting in the car.

"You got it," Cassidy smiled at her.

"I know," Leah smiled and closed her visor as they both tapped her head. Her car was already wheeled out and set up in position as she got into it.

"So do you think this will go smoothly?" Leah asked as she ran her hands over her steering wheel.

"Most likely, I see no reason why your car would break, we've had many good improvements.," Isabella answered. The lights went off and they were off. Leah slid into position between Carlos and Charles. The first corner though was chaos. Charles clipped her back wheel because he was trying to avoid a collision with Niko causing his car to come up and rest against her halo.

"Holy Crap! Charles Leclerc's car is currently resting on top of Leah Guessey! Ladies and Gentlemen this race could be ending before it even began! Lap one and there is a red flag!" The cars skittered toward the wall together hitting the barrier, but his car stayed in place.

"Holy shit! No, no, no," Charles muttered over and over.

"You can not get out of the vehicle," His engineer explained.

"Get the car off of her now!" Charles was flipping out.

"Leah! Leah! Respond!"

"I'm fine," Leah muttered. She was pissed. She needed this car right now. She needed to win.

"Leah Guessey sounds calm right now until Like Charles," John added as his radio came back onto the screen.

"Get the car off of her now!" Charles yelled. The evac team came over and  looked at the situation one of the dozers rolled onto the track as well.

"Tell him to drive it off me," Leah muttered as she hid lower and lower in her seat. She couldn't get down much more.

"Leah, that will destroy the car, just hold on, the halo bar should hold," Isabella explained.

"I hope so, I'm stuck," Leah radioed and they heard the creak of the bar.

"Stop Lando from getting out of his car, he will be disqualified," She muttered as she waited.

"Leah worrying about Lando right now is something that warms the heart," Ted sighed.

"Isabella, hold on," Leah muttered as she slowly worked her way out of the cars.

"Leah, stop moving!" One of the evac team told her. She saw they had a crane wrapping around Charles's car as he got out slowly. He immediately took off his helmet and balaclava and waited impatiently.

"Leah!?" Charles yelled. They quickly started to get his car off hers. He moved forward as it revealed her sitting happily in her car. Charles put a hand on his chest and leaned over her car. She pushed herself up almost knocking into him. "Are you alright, I am sorry, I was trying to avoid-."

"Charles," He pulled her away from her car as they got both of those cars back into the pit lane. All cars were in their paddocks waiting for the track to be cleared. "I'm good, I'm good." She gave him a smile.

"Are you sure? Jesus I thought I killed you," He breathed and hugged her.

"Nope, I'm still here, bummed, but still alive," She looked back at the evac team, they needed to get back to their paddocks.

"Leah, we can still bring you back into this race," Isabella explained. "The car has minimal damage."

"I'm so sorry," Charles muttered. She patted his shoulder.