𝐋𝐀𝐁𝐘𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐇 ; Ollie Bearman

001

-Mom, I don't want to be Estelle's babysitter; she's 15 and can stay alone. Besides, she doesn't even like racing, so why would she come with me?

-I don't like racing either, but if your friends are as good as Charles's, I'll go wherever they go. —I don't like the idea of accompanying your brother to all his practices and races either.

-Arthur, here I'm the one in charge, and I'm telling you that your sister will accompany you to your training from now on. I'm not asking you to take care of her; I'm telling you what will happen, end of discussion. —Arthur stormed out of the room, visibly upset, and slammed the door when he reached his room. I felt like a burden; Arthur didn't want me to accompany him, but Mom didn't want me home alone.

-Mom, I don't see anything wrong with me staying here. I can watch a movie, paint, or cook. —I knew my attempts wouldn't change Mom's mind, but I had nothing to lose by trying.

-No, dear, you'll be bored here, and you need to support your brother. He's feeling a lot of pressure lately.

—————————————————

-Are you ready? I'm not waiting for you. —Arthur entered my room without warning.

-You should knock; what if I was changing?

-You're not changing; that's the problem. You have five minutes to get ready, or you stay. —Arthur closed the door again, and I hurriedly changed into the outfit I had planned the night before. First impressions always matter: a short black skirt, a white "Polo" sweater, not-too-tall black boots, and my Dior handbag. I added some simple earrings and a pearl necklace to complete the look.

I grabbed a backpack with essentials that I'd leave in Arthur's car: makeup for touch-ups, charger, perfume, deodorant, and a spare pair of pants in case it gets cold. In my handbag, I only put my wallet, phone, and AirPods. Before leaving my room, I put on my Ferrari bracelet and my Apple Watch.

-I'm ready. —As I descended the stairs, I heard Arthur laugh.

-Where do you think you're going dressed like that? You're going to watch me train. This isn't like Charles's races on Sundays; there won't be 300 photographers following you here.

-Trust me, there are always cameras. Besides, I'm keeping it simple. They didn't teach you anything about fashion, did they? You really need a style upgrade. —I smirked.— Now it's you who should change, not me. —Arthur looked at himself and seemed to realize how poorly his outfit matched.

-Wait for me in the car; I'll be right there. —I laughed as I left the house, making sure to say goodbye to Mom. I started applying makeup as I waited for Arthur.

-Don't embarrass me, please. —Arthur requested once we arrived.

-When have I embarrassed you? —I asked, but I didn't get a response. I left my backpack under the seat and grabbed my purse. We entered, and Arthur greeted everyone, gradually introducing me to the team.

-Don't try anything with him. —Arthur warned as we approached a tall, handsome, brown-haired guy.

-Hello, Ollie. I wanted to ask my sister, Estelle; this is Ollie Bearman, my teammate.

-Nice to meet you. You can call me Este; Estelle sounds too formal. —I said with a smile.

—————————————————

-Arthur, I have to go, now! But now! —I told him my best friend had called, crying, and I needed to be with her.

-We're not leaving until 8 in the evening. —He spoke without paying much attention, showing that he didn't understand the gravity of the situation.

-I need to go now, even if I have to walk. —I gathered my things, but Arthur grabbed my arm tightly.

-Where do you need to go in such a hurry? —He asked, seeing my distress.

-Nicole is in trouble; I have to go see her. —My friends were always my priority, and they always would be.

-Is that all? Are you sure she needs you? —Arthur wasn't particularly concerned, and I didn't blame him; she wasn't his friend.

-Then I'm leaving; if I get kidnapped, it's your fault. —I left determined, but another hand grabbed my arm, and this time, it wasn't as aggressive as my brother's.

-I was just leaving. Can I give you a ride? — Ollie offered me a smile and a proposition I couldn't refuse.

-I don't want to inconvenience you.

-It doesn't bother me, Arthur can guide you, and I'll drive. —Ollie's smile made my heart race, but I couldn't focus on that because my mind was on Nicole and her need for me.

-Okay, let's go. —I walked behind Ollie toward his car.

-Can you get comfortable? Want to choose some music? —He handed me his phone with Spotify open.

-Do you like Spanish music?

-Not really, but I wouldn't mind listening to some. —"Me Rehúso" by Danny Ocean played, putting a smile on my face.

-At the next right turn. —I directed, trying not to mess up.

-And where are you going? With your boyfriend? —Arthur asked, glancing at me.

-No, I don't have a boyfriend. I'm going to see a friend; she's not well, and I'm worried about her. - Ollie seemed a lot more charming than he appeared.

-It's nice that you care so much about the people you love.

-Yeah, take a right here. —I was quite focused on guiding Ollie.

-Didn't ask how old you are.

-I'm 15. How about you?

-I'm 18. —He answered.

-Drop me off at the gas station, please. I need to pick up some things.

-I'll wait, and then I'll take you to your friend's house.

-It's nearby, and I don't want to bother you any more than I already have.

-I won't be at ease unless I know you made it safely to your friend's house. Hurry up; I'll wait for you. —Bearman seemed even nicer than he looked.