Sparks

George

George knew today would be a bad day from the moment he woke up. He hadn't been able to sleep well last night, the intense training he put himself through during the week finally taking its toll on him. He had woken up from his few hours of interrupted sleep with a pounding headache and made his way downstairs for a glass of water but when he turned the tap on no water came out. "Fiddlesticks!" The water must have been turned off. He slammed the glass back on the counter and ran his hand through his already unkempt hair. Now he had no choice but to find somewhere else to get a drink.

He hated going out. He always had, even before he got famous. There were always too many people and now they all seemed to swarm him, which often left him overwhelmed. He did love his fans and they were part of the reason he loved racing so much. He always made sure to put of a show for them at the drivers parade, he signed as many autographs as he could, he took countless photos and he really did enjoy it all. But that was when he has the time to prepare, when everything was predictable and there was almost nothing that could catch him off guard. When he was out, wherever he was, there was never a chance to prepare and that's what made him so reluctant.

Usually he would have gone to Toto's and spent the day there but that was another reason for his unusual mood this morning. Toto had rang him yesterday morning to cancel their monthly sleepover. It was something he looked forward to, often enjoying his time spent with Toto and Susie. They would watch movies, play old board games that always seemed to come out of nowhere and usually they would all spend time cooking. The only thing that would make it better, George found himself thinking sometimes, was if Lewis joined occasionally, but they were having little success at convincing him. Not that it would be going ahead this month anyway. Toto had said something about preparing for him and Lewis to meet the new reserve driver. George didn't know why it couldn't just be on a different day. He was a positive person but George didn't think he could conjure any opinions about this new driver that weren't negative and he hadn't even met the guy yet.

He decided to get something to eat before going out anywhere. He grabbed a muffin out of his cupboard and sat down at the table, he couldn't stomach oatmeal on a day like this. After picking at his muffin for longer than was really necessary he hauled himself off the chair and went upstairs to get ready.

The first shirt that caught his eye was one his brother had given to him. They no longer lived close together, Benjy deciding to move far away with his wife. The shirt was just a plain white one but it reminded George of his brother whenever he was lonely or having a bad day and it was probably one of his favourite shirts. After the week he had, George thought it would be a good idea to wear this shirt today. He put it on along with a pair of jeans and left his house, but not before catching sight of the photo of him, Benjy and Cara hung up next to the door.

He was deep in thought as he walked down the street. He missed seeing Benjy and Cara, his sister. They had all been inseparable growing up and they had both been a big part in getting to where he was today. He had been 8 the first time Benjy had taken him karting. He remembered going straight into the barrier at the first corner and seeing Cara laughing at him from the sides. From that week onwards Benjy would take him every weekend determined to teach him. Benjy had started karting not too long ago but he was too old to go professional so he had decided to do everything he could to help George get there. And he did. For the next 6 years he taught George the ins and outs of the sport from how to drive to the specifics of every great driver there had been, learning just how they did it. Cara helped too. She was always the smart one of the three and taught George about the mechanics and physics of the car. Cars didn't really interest her, she was more interested in computers but she made the time to learn and teach George, just as determined as Benjy to get George to the top. And then, at the age of 14, George won the European Junior Karting Championship. He had never felt as happy as he did that day and he doesn't think he has felt as happy since.

That thought left him wondering for a while until it almost led to him walking into a tree. He snapped out of his thoughts and swerved out of the way quickly. It was a nice morning, despite it having obviously rained over night. The trees were covered with twinkling dew drops and the air was crisp. Just the kind of day George liked. He walked for a while until he reached a busier street, immediately dipping his head to hide his face. He passed lots of cafes which were all too busy for him to even consider going in to. He turned off the road he was on and began walking down a smaller street. He stopped in front of a small shop, the smell of coffee and pastries filling the air around it. George smiled, it looked like a nice place.

He opened the door and stepped in. He noticed a woman who was wearing an expression he had almost figured out before she ran straight into him. Hot coffee splashed all over him and his shirt and he stepped backwards quickly, unable to avoid most of the spilt drink. "Oh gosh!" he heard her say, "I'm so sorry, I didnt notice you there- I can get you towels, anything-"

"No, I think you've already done enough." He didn't mean for his words to come out as harsh as they did. Well, he did but his main thought right now was his shirt. It was a silly thing to worry about but he couldn't help it. His eyes met hers and he saw a familiar look in hers. She knew who he was.

"I really am sorry"

That didn't change anything. George's thoughts were bitter today and he couldn't tell why. He almost felt bad for acting this way but then he thought about the shirt again. The shirt and his brother.

"It's okay I suppose" he replied before turning on his heel and leaving, slamming the door behind him. The walk back to his house felt like it took hours and he didn't even remember to get a drink. The woman's face stuck in his mind for some reason. Faces weren't something George usually remembered, being much better at names and birthdays. When he got home he immediately took his shirt off and got to work on cleaning it. There was still no water so he had to manage with just soap. When he was finally satisfied that the stain would come off once he could use some water he went upstairs and collapsed on his bed. It was only just past midday on a Tuesday but George was ready for this week to be over. He didn't bother to get changed before he was pulled into a deep sleep. It was an uncomfortable sleep but he didn't wake so it would have to do. At least it couldn't get worse while he slept. Today had been an awful day.