The Team // A Formula One AU

Sebastian

"Hey guys." Checo flops down beside me and sprays us all with sand.

"You smell like sweat again," I say.

"And you smell like failure," he retorts.

"Nu-uh. I could beat you at anything, any day."

"Fine," he grins. "I challenge you... To a race."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Shut up," Nando mutters from a little way away where he's unpacking his paintbrushes.

I crouch beside Checo as Nico joyously rushes across the sand to mark the finish line. He drags his foot about thirty metres in front of us and counts down on his fingers.

"GO!"

My feet skid in the soft sand and I can barely get any grip. I flail my arms in an attempt to stay upright. Checo is edging in front so I jump and tackle him from behind, bringing him to the ground. I get up and stumble laughing towards the end.

"Loser." I put my hand to my forehead in an L shape as he crosses the line after me.

"You cheated, you ratbag." He shoves me and we start wrestling. I end up with all my limbs pinned underneath me, sand in my hair, mouth and ears and a crowd of the others chanting fight, fight, fight in a circle around us. I laugh and push his head backwards away from me.

"What in the name of St Andrew is going on here?" Weird Old Phil's crusty feet appear in my vision.

"We're playing," Checo says in an attempt to sound innocent.

"Get off him you stupid boy, you'll ruin his joints."

I sit up once Checo is dragged off me and stick my tongue out at him. He does the same and I stand up to dust myself down, looking around for something else to do as Weird Old Phil tsks.

"Hey Nando, what're you doing?" I yell over to where he's sitting away from us by the sea. I get up and run over.

"I'm uh... Painting." I look at his work. It's just the sand, the sea and the sky, one after another up the paper. I think he's just started.

"It's wondrous Nando, truly glorious," I tell him and pat him on the back. He's probably sick of being made fun of.

"Uh... Thanks."

I turn away and look at the real sea. It's quite wavy but I'm getting hot and need to cool down soon. Squinting, I can see Mick about a hundred metres in and swimming like his life depends on it. I strip to my swim shorts and sprint as far as I can before my legs tangle in the water and I fall. At least now my hair isn't sandy.

"Hey Sebastian, wait for me!" I feel the spray as Nico leaps at me and I dive to the side. We both resurface and splash each other until Tom complains from behind me. Seems like everyone's in the sea now.

"Hey, Seb!"

I wheel around to see a volleyball flying towards me and reach up and catch it. I throw it up in the air for Nico and he hits it back towards the shallows where a bunch of the others are playing.

"Hand-egg." I jump as I hear a breathy whisper in my ear.

"Checo, what the heck?" I say and splash hard towards his face. He's gone however, and I realise Weird Old Phil is right in my line of fire. I gasp a breath and duck for my life.

Underwater I prise my eyes open to see his hairy legs turn towards where I was. I make a beeline in the opposite direction towards the volleyball game, clawing at the sand to stay under long enough to get there. I resurface and immediately join in with the game, trying not to look back towards where Weird Old Phil is.

"CHECO!!" I hear him yell and feel a little sorry for my friend. Then I remember 'hand-egg' and hit the ball happily to Nico.