Chapter Three

Somehow even after over two weeks of living with Lando and Robert I couldn't get rid of me always waking up early. Everyday started with my usual training and a shower before cooking breakfast when the boys would finally wake up. Having roommates wasn't a new experience for me but it was still strange with them.They didn't make it strange, it was completely my fault to overthink it all, that I went over the line, that I put up between ourselves, by asking this huge favour from him and not someone else. But I tried to put that into the back of my mind, and not let it surface until Lando would tell me I'm too much. Even though I knew that would probably never happen. Not even if he did think about it. He was just too sweet to do anything like that to anyone.


„ Are we doing the Q&A today? " Lando asked as he was making his tea, and I was standing next to him, waiting for my coffee to finish.


„ We can. Although, you should get questions from the fans so we don't have to wait when we sit down to film it. " I yawned, finally getting my cup so I could add some milk and sweetener to it. „ Also, don't forget the cook-off. You owe me that one! " I warned him as I took my first sip and it immediately made me feel more alive. I wasn't addicted to caffeine I swear, I just loved the taste of coffee. It didn't really matter if it was caffeine-free or normal.


„ I know, even though I would like you to forget it. " He sighed, taking his cup outside with himself, while I sat down on the sofa, to go through my DMs a little. I liked trying to answer all of them. Usually I didn't have enough time, but with this break, I did whatever I wanted after completing the tasks I gave myself so I would still stay fit.


„ Never happening. " I added, shouting so he would hear it even while sitting outside while I was already swiping down on my phone so I could get to the bottom of my Instagram messages. They could be harsh but luckily most of them were kind messages that made me smile and wanna do it more frequently. There were some of them about Lando that I usually felt strange about, but also they did make me laugh 90% of the time.


I got through like half of it when I started feeling my eyes and decided to end it for today. I quickly put up a photo into my story, thanking them for their messages and promising I will get to the remaining ones later today or tomorrow. I think I have dealt well with all the attention from my new fans, giving them enough footage into my life but still staying as private as I always did. I didn't want to change just because I got more reputation, than before I got into F1. Even though we were already quite well known in F2. It's not the same type of fame.


„ Should we start in like 10 minutes? " Lando came back from the garden, closing the glass door after himself. „ We would still have enough time to cook something after. " He offered, although I knew he wasn't thinking about the cook-off. That will be a whole another stream.


„ We can. I'm just gonna do my hair and then join you. " I nodded, taking the towel off my head, that was on me since my shower. I hated drying my hair, so usually when the weather wasn't cruel I let it dry on it's own.


I went upstairs, into the room I was using and got out my curling iron. I was usually never using anything on my hair during the season. I never had enough time, but also it was pointless, as the helmet would mess the strands up anyways. It was always in the middle stage, between straight and curly. On better days it looked wavy but mostly just made my life harder to make it look decent rather than messy and unkempt. It didn't look dirty or anything, but still wasn't the sight I wanted everyone to know me by. Even if I hated how frequently I had to wash it, to get it into the style I wanted it to be in. Right now I didn't spend so much time on it, softly curling bigger batches of it, just to make the strands stay in a shape similar to each other, before getting half of it up into a high ponytail. I was just putting everything back into my closet when I heard him start his stream and welcome chat in a happy tone. With a shake of my head I closed the closet door and went into his game room, stopping in the doorway.


„ Do you even need me? " I asked him jokingly but when he responded with the rolling of his eyes I stepped inside and got the second chair, so I could sit down next to him. Chat was already changeing at max speed, making my head spin as soon as I tried following the messages. „ How the hell do you keep up with them? " I asked, watching his screen but soon giving up.


„ We'll put them in slow mode if it's gonna be confusing. " He shrugged, clicking around and finally making it slower, so we could actually read the comments. „ So guys, as I said, we are here to answer your questions. We already have some that you went in on my Instagram, but you can also ask us here and now. " He clapped his hands together, making me jump for a second at the unexpected sound. „ I would say don't hold back, knowing you guys... Please act decently. " He sighed, making me laugh as I pulled my legs and crossed them over each other.


„ I think we can start the ones that were sent in, until they know what they wanna ask. " i offered, looking at Lando for a second and then at his phone while he opened up the notes app, where he saved all of them. There weren't many, but we knew chat would ask a lot more anyway.


„ So, for starters... How did you guys meet? How long have you known each other? " He read, making me smile for a second, before counting.


„ Well, my family moved to Somerset in 2003 and we met a year later. So 16 years in the making. " I answered for the second one, leaving the first for Lando.


„ And it was during karting. I think I saw your brother there before, but that's when he really got into it. If I'm right you followed him a year later. " He added, nodding as he looked at me for approval. I was always better with dates and remembering events, although my memory wasn't the best in any other aspect. As I looked at chat I caught a question that could be in connection with the previous one.


„ We do actually fight. I don't believe people when they swear that they never fight with their friends. " I shrugged my shoulders. „ We didn't talk actually, for almost a whole year because he was an idiot. " I added, just to make him roll his eyes and look somewhere else.


„ Yeah, we can leave it at that. " He sighed, looking for the next question. „ What other sports did you do next to karting and racing? " He looked at me, so I can give my answer first.


„ I have been dancing on and off since I was four. I just don't really have time to do it now. " I let out a sigh, missing the feeling of dancing a little at the memory. „ You were playing football, weren't you? " I asked Lando with furrowed eyebrows.


„ Yeah a little, but I wasn't doing any good. " He shook his head, already looking down at his phone. While he was through the notes he made I looked at chat again, so we won't miss anything important.


„ Well, that'll be something we can answer only after the season. I don't wanna jinx anything. " I let out a little laugh when one of them asked who will perform better from the two of us. When Lando looked up to read the question, it was already gone and I just shook my head, as I knew he would for sure tease me with how he for sure will be better than me.


„ Then, what is the other's most annoying habit? " He asked with a raised eyebrow, still looking at the screen. „ For you, it's actually hard. You haven't lived here for that long and I think you make sure we won't have any problem with you. " He laughed, looking up at me. „ but maybe all the bets you make me participate in. " He sighed and I almost felt pity for him but then quickly came to my senses.


„ You decide to take part in them. I never force you! " I corrected him immediately. „ But i guess Daniel isn't that good of a mentor for me. " I chuckled and at the exact second caught a question on the big screen about him. „ He's great. I don't think that I would feel this comfortable in the team if it wasn't for him. The first thing he did when we met in January was introducing me to everyone and showing me around, so I won't get lost in the building. So he really did everything he could, just to make me feel comfortable in such a big place. „ I added, with a smile on my face, laughing as soon as the chat was flooded with sappy emojis and 'Aww's.


As I was reading their messages in between answering questions I saw quite a big amount of followers mentioning it's strange that I'm living with Lando and I have been in several of his streams. They made me think and maybe even overthink the situation a little. I always knew spectators would think I have connections that made it possible for me to compete in F1, but I hoped it wouldn't become reality. I thought I would be luckier, and could make them like me enough that they would look at my driving how they look at anyone else's. What made it harder was the fact that we were yet to start a race and show what we can get out of our cars. In this situation it was hard to win fans' hearts only with your skills and professionalism as you didn't get a chance to show them all what you're capable of.


„ Oh yeah, why are you actually here? " Lando asked jokingly, but somehow I couldn't really take the situation as something funny anymore.


„ Well, my flat flooded like a week after we stopped working and I couldn't go home so I was in a pickle and Lando helped me out. " I answered flatly with a forced smile, although he probably anticipated a funnier answer and me poking at him for how he worded the question. „ They're still fixing it, but finally getting to the end. So I'll probably move back to Enstone as soon as it's clean again. " I added, trying to calm down the fans who sounded angry in the comments in my opinion as I read them. Hoped it will make them realise this wasn't something that will be a norm for the future.


„ At least when you dared to ask me for help finally. " He rolled his eyes, trying to lighten my mood and I forced a smile on my face, but couldn't really turn back to my previous mood. It didn't feel right to be here anymore somehow. „ Well, I think that will be us for today. Hope you guys enjoyed it, and thank you for asking us so many questions. " He turned towards the camera, and I was relieved that we're finishing up.


I said my goodbyes alongside him and watched as he turned off the stream, turning towards me with his chair. I didn't exactly feel like moving yet and stayed in my seat, watching as the last messages arrived in the chat. When he pushed my leg a little with his, making me turn towards him getting a smile on my face.


„ We should get cooking if we want to eat on time. " I told him, getting up and I was glad he didn't hold me back and let me leave the location that was causing me so much discomfort right now.


The next time I let myself go onto social media was after dinner, but I did regret it in a swift second. Lando's fans were all over my comment sections either saying our friendship is cute, or that I was so all over Lando that they couldn't decide if it was awkward or disgusting, which did hurt a little. I never wanted to seem like a friend who just wanted to use and then drop him. Luckily I didn't need anything he had but even if he could give me something I wouldn't want to just get it from him, would rather work for it and achieve it.


The next week was awkward as I tried to stay out of the frame even when there weren't any cameras around. I thought it would be easier to stay away from him online if I just cut myself off of him entirely. I was fortunate that after that week I got the call that I can finally go home and I was maybe a little too happy to leave their place, considering they did everything that my time in their house was spent joyfully. It wasn't bad, but the end was quite confusing thanks to the fans. I hoped it would get better as they saw that I was home, but everything stayed the same, making me step back from social media. At least until they finally announced the restart of the season.


We had enough time to get ready and fit for the ride, spending as much time at work as we could. It helped me to forget everything that happened and was still happening at the time on my pages. I didn't really have the energy to go online and look at the reactions, making me a lot happier than how I felt before work started again. Daniel was also next to me as he somehow could sense that I needed someone's encouragement even more now and he didn't fail to make me feel better. One of our conversations, about how this restart will be huge, made me visit my usual hairstylist and nail tech right before we left for Austria. I took a later plane there, arriving in the evening which meant they were already settled down at the hotel when I finally arrived.


„ You did actually do something big. " I was standing at the reception when I heard Daniel's voice behind myself and I turned to him as soon as I got my key. „ This looks amazing! " He grinned at me, or more like my hair actually turning me back in my previous position so he can look at it better.

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