The Team // A Formula One AU

Alex

"Dan! Daniel!" Max calls from his top bunk to the one diagonally across from me. It's a smallish room this time, not really big enough for the eight of us. His voice is loud and confident and it would be obvious to anyone that he's the ring leader. Team captain. That's Max.

Daniel does a sit up at his name, carrying his duvet up on his face. It falls down and his infectious smile is instantly wiped away by a can of the city's cheapest soft drink colliding with it.

"You idiot, Max!" Daniel throws a pillow and Max is knocked slightly by the unexpected force. He's strong, Danny, and I'm sure he could knock Max out if he wasn't such a nice guy. "You could've broken my nose and then who would be giving you slipstreams in qualifying?"

"You've never given me a slipstream since we've raced together. And anyway, your mashed up face will mean nobody wants to sponsor you, making me more attractive," Max replies.

Daniel laughs and I laugh too. I'm still shy despite living with these guys for almost three weeks, but Max and Daniel are like brothers already. Then there's Mick who's friends with Daniel because they were in the same group for their presentation in London. Lando is and best friends with Carlos, and George also hangs around the two of them all the time. And Charles can talk to anyone. Sharing a room with these seven people could catapult me not only into a tight-knit group of brothers but also guaranteed exposure to the best racers in the team. I need this. 

"Hey Max, can I have a can?" I ask and he instantly throws one my way. I guess I just got caught up in the 'touring the world' thing and forgot to have friends. I realise now I could probably have any  amount of them. Everyone's friendly, I'm just reclusive I guess. 

The door opens suddenly and Tom pokes his head in. Sweets and drinks are hidden noiselessly and those lying down pretend to be asleep. I am not lying down.

"What was that, Alex?"

Tom stares at me and I know everyone's prospects for a decent training session tomorrow are hanging on the words I say now. I can feel the others screaming internally. It's one o'clock in the morning.

"Alex?" Tom repeats. "What were you asking for?"

"Just uh... Clear skies and a dry track tomorrow."

"Riiight..." He pauses and we all forget to breathe. "Well whatever you were talking about, you should all be asleep. I know none of you are, I'm not an idiot. No more of this racket until the morning, alright?"

I got away with it? Max puts on his sweettalking face in an effort to make absolute peace before tomorrow. He has a certain way with Tom, like a snake-charmer.

"Sorry about the noise, Tom. Mick talks in his sleep."

I jump as Mick lets out an enormous fake snore that causes Tom to roll his eyes and retreat from our room.

"Goodnight, boys," he chuckles and closes the door.

I smile at Max as he throws around some more gummy sweets. I open the can from before and gasp as it explodes, soaking me to the skin. It sprays all over the bed, walls and floor and I hear Daniel yelp in the bunk below as it trickles onto him too. I pause a second in shock then giggle childishly at myself.

"Sorry, Danny."

He breathes a long and drawn out sigh before standing up from his bunk and turning to face me.

"I am going to kill you," he mutters, shaking his head. My drink is trickling slowly from his hair.

"You can't," I reply with a serious face. "Tom says it's bedtime."