She

Freeing up space

After the first lap with the safety car, Lucy set off and started trying to overtake her opponents. Lap after lap she was making no progress whatsoever. She was pushed to the back and hadn't overtaken a single person when Lucy saw a person waving a blue flag.

- Wait, blue flag, what does that mean? - Lucy forgot.

- Courtesy passing, you have to let the person behind you pass you. They're lapping you. - Marshall seemed a tiny bit disappointed. - Lucy, play more aggressive, you're letting it all go.

- Got it. - Lucy accelerated.

After trying to drive more aggressively, Lucy got a few positions ahead but was still losing extremely badly. She was getting low on gas, so Lucy pitted.

- You're switching with Carson. - Marshall opened the door.

Lucy got out of the car and took off her helmet.

- How was that? - Lucy was worried.

- To be completely honest it was terrible, but I guess it could've been worse, considering it's your first time.

- Alright.

Lucy was watching the race closely from the pits. Carson switched with Zane and Zane switched with Keith for the last thirty minutes of the race.

- We're really behind, you have a lot of work to do. - Marshall said to Keith.

- I'm on it. - The tires squealed and Keith launched off to the track.

Everyone was watching Keith overtake other cars and recover from Lucy's slack. On the last lap, Keith had overtaken thirteen racers but finished seventh.

- Considering Lucy blew the start, seventh isn't bad. - Connor helped Keith exit the car.

- No, it was pretty bad, but whatever. - Keith took off his helmet.

After the ceremony, the car was loaded up, and Marshall changed into nicer clothes.

- Here's the deal, there's an afterparty going on. If you want to meet the racers you can go.

- Sure, I'll go. Anyone else coming? - Lucy asked.

- Connor's going, but the others are tired so they'll stay in.

- Cool, let's go.

The party was fancier than Lucy expected. It had a more luxurious than racing vibe to it.  Marshall went to talk to Cole and left Lucy alone, but she didn't have to search for people since a guy struck up a conversation before she could do anything.

- Hey. - The guy smiled.

- Hey, nice to meet you. Elliot, right? - Lucy smiled back.

- That's right, Elliot Morgan. And you're Lucy Green? - Elliot grabbed some drinks.

- That would be correct, yes. Congrats on your win today.

- Thank you, it's nothing serious, just a friendly race for today. - Elliot handed a glass of champagne to Lucy.

- Staying humble, huh? It's okay, you can celebrate a little bit.

- Well in reality I'm over the moon, but someone clearly isn't.

Both drivers glanced at Xander Buckley, who was drinking champagne alone.

While Lucy was chatting away with Elliot, Marshall sat down at one of the tables with Cole.

- I'm firing a racer tomorrow. - Marshall started the conversation.

- Green? - Cole sipped his drink.

- No no, Lucy's staying.

- I'm just saying, you gotta think about this. Sure it was her first race today but you can't deny it was far from good.

- I know, but I can see that she will do better.

- Whatever you say, Scotty. Also, you're paying for the drinks, my boy beat you.

- First of all, they're free, and second of all, you barely won.

- Barely? Oh no boy, we beat you by quite a bit.

- But you didn't win.

Towards the end of the night, Elliot and Lucy had been talking for a couple of hours.

- Anyway, you still have to learn a lot of things in racing, because you have room for improvement. - Elliot was about to leave.

- I know I do. You're leaving?

- Well yeah, I gotta go home tomorrow.

- Where are you from? - Lucy asked.

- I live in Ohio.

- No way, I live in Michigan.

- Oh that's great. 

- Actually, if you live so close I have an offer. I'm going to a music festival next week and to be honest I don't really have anyone to go with. I mean I could find someone easily, but maybe you wanna join me?

- I don't know, maybe. Who's playing?

- I don't know, I didn't really pay attention to that. I know Charlie Brown is playing, that's kinda why I wanted to go, I love her music.

- She's that amputee girl, right? The one with that really cool mechanical arm?

- Exactly that one. So, wanna go?

- I'll think about it.

- Please do. - Elliot winked and walked away.