The Team // A Formula One AU

Nikita

"NIKITA!?" I jump and look up from my toast. Phil is striding towards me and I can tell there's only one thing on his mind. Punishment. I don't know what to do as he approaches. Should I stand up? Say something? Take another bite? I can't imagine anything being very effective. I just stay on my bench by myself and watch him.

The watch. My heart sinks like a stone.

He grabs me by the collar and hauls me to my feet. His voice is pure anger. "What do you think you're doing!?"

"Um..."

"I have seen video evidence that you broke into Daniel's room last night and stole his watch. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I..." I don't think wit is going to get me out of this like it used to at the orphanage. Unlike there, I actually care a little about staying here. "I..."

Oh come on, get some words together. I take my eyes off Phil's for a moment and see that everyone in the dining hall is staring at me. From Charles to the cooks behind the counter.

"You will give back the stolen goods immediately and write a letter of apology to everyone in that room as well as to myself and Tom while the others are all out training. I also expect you to give a verbal apology to Daniel this instant. Do you understand?"

"Yes." I look at my feet as much as I can with him still holding me by the collar. I'm pretty sure it's illegal to hold a child like this.

"What's going on here?" I hear Tom's voice and Phil lets me go. I breathe normally again.

"This boy is a liar and a thief," Phil says. I dust myself down. I'm not sure where liar comes into this.

"What proof have you seen?" Tom looks me up and down then studies my face. I try to look something other than annoyed.

"The boys showed me surveillance of their room from last night. I've told Nikita he will miss training so he can write several letters of apology."

Tom nods and adds. "He'll also miss the first couple of races. Thievery is a criminal offence. Now I think he should go and say sorry to whoever he stole from."

He looks a bit disappointed, Probably in himself that he couldn't pick well behaved children. They both march me over to where Daniel and Mick stand conveniently in the hallway. They must've been watching too, it's obvious by the smirks on their faces.

"Daniel, Nikita has something to say to you," Phil prompts me.

"Sorry," I say.

"Sorry for what?" I hear anger refilling Phil's words.

"Sorry that I stole your watch."

"And broke into their room."

"And broke into your room."

Daniel looks at me and I sense laughter in his eyes. "I accept your apology," he says. I almost say 'good' in reply but remember Phil is still right behind me as if expecting more. Is it better to look strong in front of everyone or weak in front of Tom and Phil? I'm going with weak since they're the only people who can actually do something to me. So I look at the ground and nod until they let me go back to my toast.

I walk between the two tables and soon realise it's a mistake. People crane their necks to look at me as if I've turned into an elephant. Really I'm just a boy who can't stop stealing. I curse myself as I sit back at my food which is now stone cold, and I curse them with their 'surveillance' too. More money than intelligence. Now I have to miss races, how am I ever going to perform in the championship if everyone else gets a head start? I'm not so annoyed about missing training, it's cold, wet and boring. But writing ten letters of apology isn't going to be much fun.