The Team // A Formula One AU

Esteban

"Well this is a dump," I say as I step down off the bus. There's litter all over the place and bins on the hostel doorstep. We're definitely in the shady end of town, and not least because of the thick clouds covering the sky for as far as I can see.

"Oh, don't be so cynical," Valtteri claps me on the back with a grin.

"Look around." I spread my arms and end up hitting Nando in the face, which only solidifies my point. "There's barely enough room to stand!"

"It'll be better on the inside..." Tom says, though he doesn't sound convinced. I doubt it, as do half the team by the looks of things. We stand around outside until we all have our suitcases from the compartment below the bus, then Erik counts us as we pour in through the wooden doors and find that Tom was right for once and the lobby is actually quite decent looking.

The colour scheme seems to be red and gold and at the back of the room there's both a lift and a set of stairs. It takes me a while to work that out though, because the whole place is so crowded and noisy I have to concentrate just so I'm not pushed around by all the people. Tom quickly talks to the hag on reception and then addresses us above the ruckus.

"Guys, you're all on floor three. Who's in the big room?"

"Me!" Daniel shouts and Tom throws him his key card.

"Checo take your room card, and Esteban take yours. Now go and unpack!"

We happily move out of the crowd, who don't seem to be moving anywhere themselves, and for some reason decide to drag our luggages up the stairs to floor three instead of taking the lift. Bad idea.

"God, how far is it?" George asks.

"It's the next floor," Nico replies breathlessly.

"No it's isn't, this is only the first floor."

"You're wrong!"

"The floors between the floors don't count you know," I say.

"No, I swear it's this one," Sebastian agrees with Nico as we emerge onto the second floor.

George walks down the corridor, reading the numbers. "201, 203, 205, 207, 2-"

"Alright! I was wrong. This seems to be the second floor after all."

"Which only means we have to climb more stairs." I say.

We make it to the next floor up and eventually find our way into our rooms. Ours looks exactly the same as last week's and I take the same bed, the bottom bunk underneath Valtteri. Sadly Nikita decides to take the one directly opposite me so he'll be the first thing I see every morning. Wonderful.

Valtteri sighs when he see's he'll be taking the top bunk again but most of his scowl is directed toward Nikita this time. The Finn scrambles past me and I try not to breathe as his sweaty bus feet ascend the ladder to his bunk.

"Are you going to unpack?" Valtteri calls from above.

"I am unpacked," I reply. My pyjamas are lying on the bed next to me and my wash bag is hanging from the roof of my bunk.

"That was quick," Kimi says. For some reason, in the same way I knew I hated Nikita as soon as I got here, I actually quite like Kimi.

"Wanna go down to the cafe then?" Valtteri asks.

"I wouldn't trust anything they cook here."

"It's not so bad."

"Yeah, don't judge a book by its cover."

I sigh and think for a moment. I guess I could do with a drink. "Alright I'll come. But we're taking the lift this time."