My Knight In Shining Armour (Anthoine Hubert X OC)

Chapter 1: An unlikely win

2011
It all started with a dream. My dream, becoming a Formula 1 driver. There is just one problem with it. I have to leave my family behind. To be fair I won't be able to achieve my dream if I didn't leave. There is also the issue of money.  I can't really on my parents forever. before I get ahead of myself my name is Jaylyn Reid and I am on my way to France to partake in the karting world championship. It is one of many steps that I have to take to become a Formula 1 driver. at least I know from the UK cup that I have a slim chance of getting somewhere.  

"Good luck Jay," My dad wishes me luck as he pulls me into a hug.

"Thank you, Dad," I replied. My voice is trembling as I let go. There will be a couple of events in England so I will be seeing them again.

"Just remember we will always be proud of you," My mum says before bursting into what I assume are tears of pride. I am not sure if that is a thing but I have worked hard to get to where I am.

"And remember I love you no matter what," I counter as I pull her into a hug. After five seconds my mum finally lets me go. With that, I leave with one last goodbye. It has been a few weeks since I left for France and I have finally found some work in Rouen. I have managed to negotiate a mixed deal with my landlord who owns a small grocery store. Well, I now have a little money for my first race which is happening in three days. I am looking forward to the race. No offence to my landlord but I didn't come to France for shop work. I am soon pulled back to reality as the doorbell rings to signify the arrival of a customer.

"Monsieur Moreau puis-je parler à Jaylyn s'il vous plaît? (Mister Moreau please may I speak to Jaylyn please?)," A boy about my age asks. I wonder if he is my new teammate. He told me that his family will take me to the track with him.

"Oui, Elle est là-bas (Yes, She's over there)," He responds to the boy's question by pointing to me. The boy nods in thanks. He makes his way to me. Yup, he is my new teammate, Anthoine Hubert. The only guy that isn't really taking pity on me.

"Are you ready to go, Jaylyn?" He asks with a heavy French accent. I really should have paid attention while I was at school. I excuse myself so I can get my suitcase. It doesn't take me long to reappear.

"Jay before you go here is your pay," Mister Moreau says as he hands me some cash. It is his way of wishing me luck. I get the feeling that I will need it. We shall find out when we get to the destination. It is the day after we arrived and I am currently working on making sure that the kart is good to go. The team offered me a mechanic but I declined since I probably trust my own work more. Plus there is no point in wasting money when I am capable of doing it myself. It doesn't take me long to sort out the thing that has been bugging me all morning.

"Still being your own mechanic Reid?" I am pulled out of my thoughts by one of my rivals from the British championship.

"Of course Russell," I reply. I find it funny that he thinks calling me by my last name is an effective way of teasing me. Like him, I have a first name for my last name so it doesn't really work. Deep down I know he is only doing it because we are rivals. I shrug it off as I put the tool I am using down. There is no point in rising to the challenge off track. So long as I beat George on the track. It doesn't take long for the qualifying session to start. I feel like I might be at an advantage since I am my own mechanic. There is no need for me to struggle with communicating the issues with someone else. The kart feels quick. I guess I will find out when the session comes to an end. I am hoping that I can at least get in the top ten. After thirty minutes of driving the session came to an end. I soon rescued myself from my helmet.

"Hey, Jay you did well. You got P3," Anthoine compliments me. The thing is he doesn't seem surprised.

"Thank you Anthoine. I just have to ask, Why are you not surprised?" I responded. I feel a little rude asking but normally people are surprised because of my gender.

"Because I had a feeling that you would," He says. Odd. I check the timesheet to find my name below two other drivers. That means I have a chance to do well. Things may finally be turning in my favour. We will have to see what happens during the race. With that, I get to work on making sure the kart is ready to go for the next race. There is not much that I need to do as I was careful with the tires.

"Wouldn't you need to change your tires?" Another French accent breaks me out of my thoughts.

"Nope. I can make them last. My name is Jaylyn," I introduce myself. The thing is I have seen him around but I haven't talked to him till now. He is also one of the drivers ahead of me.

"Pierre. You did well," He replies. Like Anthoine he doesn't really care. To be fair it is probably ahead of me. Not that it matters. After an hour of work, I find myself in the small hospitality area. I grab myself a banana. I soon sat down next to Anthoine who was trying to discuss something with his mechanic. I can tell that he is growing more frustrated but I couldn't tell you what they are saying. 

"je te dis que ça ne marchera pas (I am telling you it is not going to work)," Anthoine responds to whatever was said before.

"Désolé mais je ne peux rien faire (there is nothing that I can do)," The mechanic replies. Anthoine soon gives up.

"Sorry, you had to hear that. I am having some issues with the kart," Anthoine apologises for some reason. There is nothing that I can do about it. I just had some poor timing, that's all. I soon came up with an idea.

"Do you mind if I have a look?" I ask. It is the least that I can do. He nods as I finish my banana. He takes me to the kart. As a driver, I am able to spot the issue right away. I begin the work that will be required to fix it. After thirty minutes I have finished. I am glad that I have fifteen minutes to relax before the race starts. I am quick to find Anthoine.

"Anthoine, I fixed the problem," I let him know. He seems happier now that I have. I soon find myself having an interesting conversation with Anthoine. It sounds like he is on my side for now. I am sure he won't be as the championship goes on. Oh well, I just need to focus on the race. After ten minutes of waiting the race is about to begin. I am hoping to get a good start so I can get past at least Pierre. The boy in front is the one that I want to beat since he is in first but I can't get ahead of myself. It doesn't take long for the green flag to signify the start of the race. I manage to get a better start than Pierre which surprises me. With that, I soon get to work on catching up to the first-place driver. After fifteen minutes of making sure the tires can last I manage to match his pace.

"Come on make a mistake," I utter. The thing is I know that he is not going to give up that easily. It doesn't take long for me to notice that he has made a mistake. Despite it only being a small mistake I manage to get past him. I now need to make the tires last which is something that I will be able to do. After another forty-five minutes of driving the race has come to an end and I am still on top. I am a little surprised since I wasn't expecting to get anywhere in my first race in the world championship. I am soon joined by Pierre and the other kid.

"You must be Jaylyn. My name is Charles. You did well," The other boy introduces himself. Again it is with a thick accent. I guess most of the drivers are going to speak with heavy accents. There are some expectations clearly.

"Yes. You did well as well," I reply. I do feel a little sorry for Charles as he was so close to getting his position back a few times. I definitely wasn't to give up without a fight. After the podium ceremony, I make my way to Anthoine's parents' car for the journey back to Rouen. They seem just as proud of me as Anthoine. I guess they have taken me under their wing so it would make sense. Little do I know my friendship with Anthoine will change my life for the better.