i love you • formula one

08

please comment throughout

third person

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12-14/07/2019
British Grand Prix

Lando Norris was quickly making a name for himself in the Formula 1 world and Lyra couldn't be happier for her best friend. It was a shame that he experienced a few reliability issues at the beginning of his first season in the sport. Lyra knew that he was a little disappointed with his performance compared to his teammate, Carlos Sainz, but she was always there to encourage him. When things went wrong, Lyra was the first person Lando would go to or call. Her voice alone could make him feel better and give him the confidence to do anything. He would do anything for her.

Even though he had a very tight schedule, Lando always managed to make time for Lyra. It was a miracle that Lyra's timetable allowed for her to have Fridays off, making her weekend long enough that she could sometimes attend the races in Europe as long as she could catch a flight home on the Sunday. She didn't know what she would do if she couldn't spend the time that she did with her best friend. Sacha was usually Lyra's flight buddy for as long as he didn't have a race himself. He, like Lando, felt the need to protect her. Unfortunately, Sacha wouldn't be able to attend the British GP because of his commitments to the Japanese Formula 3 Championship, but Lando's family were going to be there for her and the young Brit.

The amount of races Lyra had attended with Lando over the years meant that she had a few acquaintances within the sport. Drivers that Lando had competed against, or team members Lando worked with, made up the list. She was a familiar face in the paddock, known for being Lando Norris's best friend and other half (although not in the sense that Lyra had longed for).

For convenience, Lando and Lyra always shared a hotel room whenever she attended his races. They had known each other for long enough that sharing a bed wasn't weird, however it did make Lyra's heart skip a beat unlike what she had experienced during their childhood. She planned to stay with him for the full weekend of the British Grand Prix instead of making the hour and a half commute from their house in Guildford.

"Lyra, you look fine," Lando whined, stomping his foot impatiently by the door to their hotel room. He was dressed in his McLaren gear, ready to tackle the day ahead. Yesterday's practice sessions had prepared him well for the qualifying session later that day, but he still felt the nerves. He wanted to make a good impression on the British public (as if they didn't already love him) and his team by turning up on time, which was impossible when he was waiting for Lyra.

She was still sat cross-legged in their double bed, a hand-held mirror held extremely close to her face as she applied the second coat of mascara to her curled eyelashes. Lyra knew that there were going to be cameras and didn't want to risk there being a bad photo of her. She also knew Lando had an image to uphold, and refused to tarnish it by looking sloppy and careless.

"Just fine?" Lyra raised one her perfectly drawn eyebrows and scoffed. With a roll of her blue eyes, she returned her attention to the mirror and continued to apply the thick black substance. Her champagne coloured eyeshadow shimmered in the reflection of light from the mirror. It was very subtle, but made a huge difference to the whole look; the colour matched her nails and accessories. "I'm almost done. Hold your horses."

In defeat, Lando walked back into the room and flopped onto the bed behind his best friend. "We were supposed to leave ten minutes ago!" He looked up at her as she continued to apply makeup to her face. In his opinion, Lando didn't think Lyra needed to bother with the makeup. Her smile was beautiful on its own and didn't need to be coated in gloss, her eyes sparkled without the added details whenever she laughed, her skin glowed with youth whenever the golden sun touched it, or so he thought. Lando thought she was perfect.