How To Disappear | Charles Leclerc

III

Practice is about to start, everyone from yesterday is very cold towards me but I won't say anything yet.

"Danny, you can go out" I say over the radio "copy that" he says and heads out.

He barely talked to me over the radio, only saying 'okay, copy, understood' and shit like that but I'm not expecting him to be gossiping over the radio, or talking all the time but he sounds cold and shallow, like he usually isn't.

He finished 5th which is just fine for the first practice and there's only qualifying left for the day, not for me, I'll obviously stay longer and do some extra work.

Same happened in quali, he barely talked to me or answered coldly, exactly how he's been doing the whole day, he qualified 13th due to some shit that happened and he didn't have time to do a flying lap.

***

I wake up to the sound of my alarm it's 12pm, I got here very late yesterday I wanted to make sure everything is going to work just fine, I'm a perfectionist after all.

I ate, I got ready and I'm heading to the track, I'm in the car with Adelina and there's a lot of traffic "do you have any idea why they're avoiding you?" Adelina asks me "yes, I know what's up, but I'm waiting a little, I don't want to jump to conclusions" I say and she nods.

"What could it possibly be?" She asks me "I'll tell you once I'm sure" I say and she nods.

We've finally arrived at the paddock and I'm running to my desk because I'm kinda late, thank god they're just doing pit stop practices.

It's the paddock club track tour and I'm joining them because I want to memorise the track better. Adelina is joining me, we're on the track and I'm trying to look at every single inch of the track.

"It's quite a nice track" Adelina says and I nod "yeah but it's very hard to drive due to the dehydration" I say "yeah it's very hot here" she says.

"I feel like my skin is melting" she says "imagine if you had to wear all these things they're wearing during the race" I say "for two hours? Hell no" she says and I chuckle.

***

Daniel qualified 8th for the sprint and the lights are about to go out. The five lights go out and away they go.

Daniel crashed and he's out, he's sitting right next to me watching the race "are you avoiding me?" I ask him lowly, he turns his head to look at me with a confused expression.

"Why would you think that?" He asks me with a suspicious tone "it's just that you're kinda cold towards me" I say "I'm just moody" he says and I nod understandably "okay, if I did or said something please tell me what it is so we can solve it" I say.

"No, you didn't do anything" he says and I nod "so nothing happened?" I ask him and he nods "nope, I don't think so" he says and gets up to leave.

"I'm sure you'll do better tomorrow" I say with a reassuring smile and he smiles back, a small genuine smile, no teeth showing.

***

The sprint is over and everyone is heading out, I see Max walking down and I decide to talk to him, to see if he's going to be cold too.

"Hey Maxie!" I say with a smile "hey" he says "everything alright?" I ask him and he nods "are you sure? You don't sound well" I say and he shakes his head "I'm sure" he says "would you like to come for drinks?" I ask him.