The Team // A Formula One AU

Fernando

We're in New York. We're in New York. I'm so excited we're in New York.

"Hey princess, it's the Empire State," Checo says and I lean quickly to his side of the bus.

"Where!?"

"He can't see it you idiot, it's not even near here," Sebastian says and I slump back into my seat, sighing. New York is huge. I wonder where we're staying.

I lean over Nico so I can see better. The bus is going at a snail's pace and I'd rather get out and walk. At least that way I'd be able to see something after twelve hours of driving. Whoever's idea it was to drive around the USA instead of just flying has clearly never visited it before.

"Our hostel is just up ahead," Tom yells over the broken exhaust. "We'll stop outside and check in then we've got some time to explore before the evening."

My leg jiggles uncontrollably. This is the best place we've visited yet. The bus slows to a standstill at the road's edge and we pile out as quickly as possible into the wet air. I never notice how little oxygen there is in that bus until we can breathe normally again.

We grab our luggages from their compartment and stand in front of a tiny hostel, scrunched up between two others. I guess this must've been the cheapest of them all. Yellow taxis go past in both directions, far noisier than I expected. Max pats the bus forcefully before it moves off and we go into the hostel.

Tom checks us in and the receptionist directs us down the corridor to our right. The room should be on the ground floor, far easier to reach than last week's. Far fewer circus performers too. The others thought it was weird, but I enjoyed how colourful it all was.

"Can I have the top bunk this time?" Sebastian asks Nico as we near the end of the corridor.

"No way," Nico replies and picks up his pace. They both start running and end up fighting for the doorhandle before haphazardly throwing both their suitcases up onto the nearest bed. Sebastian's falls to the floor with a loud thud. 

"Fine. I'll sleep on this top bunk," he says.

"What about Yuki? He usually has a top bunk," I ask as I claim my own.

"He should've been faster."

We sit and make our beds until our other three roommates turn up. They're Checo, Yuki and Pierre and they all look a bit confused.

"Where am I sleeping?" Checo asks when he realises he can't share with Yuki.

"Heeeeey!" Yuki shouts when he realises. "Sebastian's on my bunk!" He stands below it glaring up until Sebastian throws a pair of his pants at him. I laugh as I wrestle my pillow into its case.

"I want a top bunk," Checo says.

"Well there aren't any left, so tough."

"Next week I get one."

"Me too," Sebastian says.

"Not you, you ruined EVERYTHING!" Yuki yells and dumps the entire contents of his luggage on his mattress like he usually does. The only difference is now it's in plain sight.

"Don't be so messy," Checo complains and throws Yuki's towels back into the suitcase. Checo can't live with mess.

"It's Sebastian's fault, blame him."

"Time to go if we want to see anything," Tom calls with his head in the door. I leap down from my bunk and pull on my trainers. I've been awake since four in the morning but we have to see things. We're in New York. Checo starts re-lacing his trainers, as if he didn't just have twelve hours to do it.

"Checo! You don't need those shoelaces, just leave the old ones and hurry uuup!"

"Shut up, those were for Chicago you know I can't use them again."

I groan and decide to go outside by myself to bounce around while I wait for everyone else to get here. Why do they have to be so slow? Tom finally counts twenty of us and we set off along the busy street. In between the buildings I see sky and the tips of skyscrapers on the horizon. I wonder where we're going. I ask Sebastian.

"Maybe we're going to Central Park. We're headed in that direction."

"Oooooh..." A plane flies high above us in the rectangle of blue. I could live here.

We emerge at the end of a road and sure enough enter the park. Everything's bright and leafy and green and I see Tom give the signal that means disperse. I run further from the road and lie on my back in the grass. Then Daniel takes out his ball and as usual we start a game.