Double Sided Tracks

A joke?

Nora told Angela that Max had given her a pass earlier at the hospitality, she asked Angela if she thinks she could go say hi, real quick. Angela shrugged, told her she couldn't see why not.

Max was there when Nora stopped by, done with qualifying. She congratulated him with a big smile, telling him good luck for tomorrow as well. Max grabbed her in a quick hug, and she couldn't say anything but patted him on his back.

"So, are there any top secrets you'd like to share?" she asked teasingly, as they sat down. "Since you invited me here." she added, waving her Red Bull pass.

Max shook his head, he hasn't said anything other than to thank her. Too happy he got a podium, and it's too hot as well. His throat is slightly dry. "I thought you wanted to say hi." he said, and it sounds so raspy.

"Hi," she said, rolling her eyes. You're hot and cold and I don't understand. "So, why did you invite me here?" she asked.

"Well, you weren't in Austin." He said and Nora gave him a weird look, "yes, I've got school, you know."

Max smiled, and was about to say something when he noticed Nora is now staring at the screen they have in the garage. Lewis was on screen, and he could see Nora was smiling slightly. It's only been two months. There's no way she's in too deep, right?

"Does that work for you?" he asked, forgetting what he was about to tell her.

"Excuse me?" she asked, eyes no longer on the screen. Good.

Max nodded towards the screen, Lewis was getting out of the car and now the screen changed to Toto. "Does the whole, being older and–nicer. Those work for you?" Max asked again.

"Being nicer works." Nora said, Max could see a frown forming— he couldn't care less. He is past being nice. Nora would think: was he ever nice to begin with?

Max stared at her, looking into her eyes unwavering. Like something is written there and he's trying to read it. "He's just like me," Max started, "do you think he's this—sweetheart of a guy that will never hurt a fly? Every drivers are just like me, even—"

Nora sighed, "I'm not- that's on the tracks." She said.

"We're racers, Nora. Our lives are the tracks." Max said, Nora noticed it's probably the first time she had heard him say his name like that. In disappointment. Who do you think you are, for using that tone?

And she made a face, "well I'm not a racer, I don't even like driving. So no? My life is not the tracks?" she said, in a questioning tone. Like Max is the ridiculous one.

Nora waits for Max to say something but continues once she realises he's not going to say anything, "so, how people act outside of the tracks matter to me. You happen to hate me- I mean, why are we even having this conversation?"

Max looks perplexed, like he was just told to box while trying to get the fastest lap, "hate you? I don't hate y-"

Nora cuts him off, "oh come on!" She started, flailing her arms around like ???

"So you always gave me dirty looks because you just happen to be in love with me? Or- with Lewis? You're jealous that I stole your friend?" She asked mockingly.

Max took a slight step back like he just remembered that he's standing in front of a stove and it's hot, shook his head and walked away, leaving Nora sitting there confused. "What just happened." She muttered to herself.

She stood up and decided her frolicking in Red Bull's garage has come to an end.

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Angela's small gasp confirmed she heard him right, and it wasn't voices in her head.

She scrunched her nose, trying to not cry. That's just pathetic. Lewis in front of her still stares at her like he's waiting for her to say something, sorry she's a little busy trying not to cry. Angela linked their arms together like earlier this morning, and she felt like crying even more.

"What the hell, Hamilton." she had said, and another time she would've found it funny that they bicker like siblings. But her support just gave her another ache, a reminder that she's all alone in Brazil. 20 hours away from home, she doesn't even have Aya here.

She shook her head, "I didn't think that it would be a problem, I just–" she couldn't finish her sentence as Angela also tried to voice her opinion.

"It's not a problem! You have the pass anyways!" she said, her eyes on Lewis– who's staring at Nora intensely. "It really isn't– I mean you told me. So–"

"I invited you." Lewis said, "not Max."

"Well, he invited me too, Lewis." she said, voice sounds defeated. Is this where they burn the bridge? Is the bridge even done? "I just stopped by to say hi."

"To say hi?" he asked, in a tone that made her heart drop. Angela hissed something at him, something like "fucking asshole" or something, she couldn't really make it out. Ears ringing from anger.

What kind of woman do you think I am? Do you think I will just walk and leave for someone who scores more points, as if that matters to me? Do you think so low of me, without knowing all of me? Max was right, you can be unkind.

"I'm going home." she said, and she's uninterested to see whether Lewis tried to stop her or not. She's done. Angela tried to stop her before leaving, but Nora just gave her a small smile and whispered a promise that she will text her.

She walked quickly, hoping nobody was outside, she immediately went to the back side of the make-up office. She'll find a way out eventually. Her vision blurred from tears, and she choked back a sob.

What– what a joke. Flew all the way here to feel humiliated. Willingly.

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LEWISSSSS. do we hate him, are we canceling him