The Team // A Formula One AU

Pierre

"I'm going on all the big slides even if you're all too scaredy cat!" Lando shouts as he runs out from the changing rooms and is immediately stopped by a lifeguard and told to walk. That's going to be difficult for him. Yuki and Charles follow him and drag me straight to the bottom of the slide tower. Tom has to have some time away from us somehow, but I think being sent to a waterpark for the evening should be optional.

"Do you want to go down in three separate donuts or with one pair?" Yuki asks, carrying one of the thick rubber rings.

"I don't mind," Charles replies and I look back up at the list of slides. They each have a colour and a rating out of five pictures of a screaming lady. Most of them have at least three screams.

"Can we ride a tame one first?" I ask.

"I don't think any of them are particularly tame."

"How about this one," I point up at a yellow slide that starts on the second floor.

"That's for tiny little kids, Pierre. You don't even need a donut to go on that one," Charles laughs, "I want to do the black one."

I look on the board for the black slide. It has five screaming ladies and an age limit. It's called Living Hell.

"Unless you're too scared," He adds.

"No I'll come with you."

"You're speaking pretty fast for someone who's not scared."

"I'm just excited."

"Okay then. Let's get going if you're so excited."

I hear an echoing scream and look behind me in time to see Lando and Carlos come hurtling out of the black slide at a hundred kilometres an hour. They fly off their donut and Carlos shouts something very unencouraging. I don't want to ride the black slide.

"Pierre!" I hear a shout and look behind me to see my friends already halfway to the stairs. I follow them slowly. I just want to lie in the lazy river.

When I emerge on the top floor I feel sick. I must look sick too because Yuki asks me if I am and tells me I don't have to ride the slide. This place is almost deserted so there isn't a queue and the lifeguard in charge of the slide is staring at us. Charles had to drag the huge double donut all the way up here. I'm going to have to face my fear.

"No. I'm good."

"Alright, you share with Charles. I'm going it alone." Yuki says and climbs into his donut at the top of the pitch black slide. My legs are shaking. The lifeguard nods at him and without hesitation he pushes off and disappears into the darkness.

"Do you want-" Charles is cut off by Yuki's scream. I didn't know Yuki even could scream.

The lifeguard motions us to get into our donut and I ask Charles if I can go on the back. The lifeguard tells me I can't.

"Why not?" I ask.

"Because your friend is heavier."

"But he's younger than me."

"That's irrelevant."

I reluctantly get onto the front ring and gulp. I really, really don't want to do this. "Charles, I don't want to-"

The lifeguard pushes us into hell. I grip the handles either side for dear life as we twist and turn wildly without any idea where we're going. Charles laughs and whoops but shouts too when we're thrown forwards into an abyss. It feels like we're free falling and I scream in terror. This must be where Yuki and Lando both screamed. Are we near the end? My blood is ice cold when we suddenly stop falling and I'm pushed down into the donut hole and I get a friction burn on my butt. I yell but barely have time before I'm splashed directly in the face. I can't open my eyes.

"Charles!!" I scream and grab for him as I'm thrown out of the donut and I feel my head hit something solid. I'm going to die. This is the end.

"That was awesome!" Someone says when my head breaks the water. I'm not falling anymore. I rub my eyes and see that it's over. I drag myself out of the pool and sit on the low wall next to a laughing Yuki.

"Wanna go again?" He asks and I put my head in my hands. "Are you... Are you okay?"

"I hate slides," I say.

"So... I'm guessing no?"

I sit up and hit him on the back of the head. He laughs as Lando and Carlos burst into out pool.

"That's it I'm not going on any more you can go on your own I hate slides I hate water and I hate these stupid circle things!" Carlos storms onto dry land and Lando follows, dragging the donut.

"But how am I meant to do slides on my own? They said I'm too small!"

"I don't care," Carlos says and sits next to me heavily. Lando looks like he might cry.

"You can come with us Lando," Yuki says, "Pierre doesn't want to do slides either so he can go with Carlos."

"Really?"

"Yeah, come on let's go."

"Yaaay!!"

I watch them leave then turn to Carlos, his eyes red and bleary from too much chlorine.

"The lazy river?"

He nods. "The lazy river."