Romeo and Juliet || Carlos Sainz

The Sleepover Club

From a distance, Y/n saw Charlotte sitting at the table while looking at her cell phone and got a shock. Immediately she was reminded of all those moments she had spent with Charles, everything they had done when they had tried to be together, and felt deeply embarrassed about it. Who knows if Charles had told her everything, who knows how she had taken it, who knows if he knew about Y/n's presence. What if she would freak out as soon as he saw her? What if she had no intention of being at the same table with Y/n? She had a point, after all. All these thoughts accompanied Y/n to the table, meanwhile Charlotte had gotten up.
"Hi guys!" she said to Y/n, Max, Kelly, and Penelope. She had a sincere and sweet smile; perhaps Charles had not said anything to her. In that case, it would have been even worse. Y/n had to find out how Charles had handled it all.
They took their seats around the table reserved for them. Y/n was seated between Kelly and Charlotte, and the boys were further apart.
"So, Y/n! I know you're working at Red Bull again! I'm happy for you, Charles told me you're great," she smiled kindly at her.
"Yes, I work with my father. Sometimes it's hard, however, it's my dream" in Y/n's head there were always the questions from before, but she acted as kindly as Charlotte.
"You have found your balance, it shows in your eyes" Charlotte was regal, elegant and kind.
"Thank you" Y/n smiled at her.

The evening passed peacefully, the diners were all happy, and Y/n felt peaceful. It had been ages since she had gone out, and this dinner seemed to have the same effect on her as a vacation.

"Excuse me, I'm going to the restroom for a moment," Charlotte got up from the table and gently placed a hand on Y/n's shoulder, who looked up at her. "Will you keep me company?" Y/n's blood froze. It seemed the perfect excuse to be alone and maybe tell her something about Y/n's relationship with Charles. Y/n felt food rising in her throat.

"Listen, I don't know how to tell you this," thundered Charlotte as she washed her hands in the sink next to the one Y/n was using. Here we go.
Y/n turned around, pale in the face.
"Charles told me what happened between you and..."
"Charlotte I'm really sorry, I don't..."
"You don't have to apologize in any way. I know that your relationship had nothing to do with our breakup, that Charles and I had reached a point of no return and we necessarily had to separate."
"I hope everything is okay between you now, really."
"It is, and I know you weren't a rebound for him either. He has really tremendous affection for you and I know he would do anything to see you happy, because you are each other's best friend. For that reason, I wanted to tell you that I don't hold any grudges against you, I really mean that."
"Oh my God, Charlotte. I was terrified that you would hate me!"
"Hate you? I would be a jealous fool. Charles was extremely sincere with me, and I appreciated his genuineness."
"We tried to make it work, I admit. But he is and will forever remain my best friend."
"I understand that."
"You are a very mature girl, Charlotte" she smiled at her.
"Call me Cha from now on" he smiled at her in turn.
"You have lifted a boulder from my heart" said Y/n touching his chest.
"I knew it, I couldn't wait to talk to you in private. Sorry for getting you up during dinner, but I felt I had to tell you these things as soon as possible."
"I'm glad you did it, I could have died" they both burst out laughing and walked out of the bathroom.

"Where did you two end up?" asked Charles a little worried.
"Girl talk" said Y/n and Charlotte in chorus who burst out laughing again.
The evening continued and without even realizing it was past midnight.
"Guys I'd say let's go back to the hotel. Press conferences start tomorrow," usual Max always dutiful.
"Tell me about it, I hate media day" Charles laid his napkin on the table and went to the cashier to pay for everyone.
"But Charles!" said Max.
"I felt like it!" Charles smiled as he watched Y/n and Charlotte chatting happily along with Kelly and a somewhat sleepy Penelope.

Thursday is always the most stressful day for Y/n. It starts very early at the racetrack between briefings, analysis, planning, and, albeit rarely, indulging the media.
Most of the day is spent in the hospitality, between papers and numbers, and there is usually very little time to chat outside the offices, and yet that weekend in Brazil seemed to last very little. At the end of the day, RedBull had gone better than expected, Charles first, Max second, and Carlos third in both the Sprint race and the Sunday race. Checo fourth both races.

Below the podium, after the anthems, Y/n had felt his shoulder tapping.
"Cha!!!"
"Y/n!!! I let you work this race weekend but now we have to celebrate!"
"Oh God, I don't know...I'm really tired" the two had deflected from the crowd and were walking around the paddock.
"Come on! I already told Kelly, who I don't see anywhere...oh, here she is!"
"Hi girls!" said Kelly as Penelope jumped into Y/n's arms.
"You tell her, we have to go out tonight and celebrate!" Charlotte sought Kelly's support, which was not long in coming.
"Sure, you have to be on board!"
"Yes, everyone will be there, even Carlos!" the spontaneity with which Charlotte had said that name showed an attempt at persuasion without malice but it made Y/n stop breathing and Charlotte noticed.

"Did I say something wrong?"
"No...sorry..." Y/n put Penelope down on the floor "I have to go, sorry..." Y/n went straight to the hotel, took a long shower, and then put on her pajamas. She hadn't heard Carlos's name in a really long time, not in such a confined setting, at least. She had watched him win two GPs from afar, without ever writing to him and felt guilty about it, but after that whole thing with Charles, she had never had the courage to talk to him again.

*knock knock*
Y/n walked to the door of the room and opened it. In front she saw Charlotte and Kelly wearing pajamas, holding three face masks.
"Girls! What are you doing here? You should be at the party."
"We talked about it and thought it would be best to party like this," Kelly replied.
"and Penelope?"
"she's already asleep with the babysitter" replied Kelly
"and the boys?"
"We said we'd rather be with you," said Charlotte. "Will you let us in? These pajamas are really embarrassing" in fact, Charlotte's pajama pants had many little Charles faces printed on them. "Arthur's gift from a few years ago, don't ask questions," Charlotte said anticipating the thoughts of the other two girls who burst out laughing.

"Come in!" Y/n let the two girls in and closed the door.
Needless to say, that was one of the most beautiful and unforgettable night for Y/n. They talked, they joked, they sang.
Y/n could not remember a night spent with girlfriends, maybe in college it had happened a few times, but never like this one.
But, inevitably, they ended up talking about boys and past relationships. Kelly talked about how hard it had been to part with Daniel, and Charlotte gave a beautiful speech about how important it was to respect the timing of things and people. She was a really mature girl. Then came Y/n's turn who didn't even know where to start. Out came a monologue focused on her and Carlos, all the ups and downs, the problems, the fights, the delirium of that relationship that was destined to crash into a wall and end the race with a DNF.

"You still want him, don't you?" asked Charlotte.
"what?" asked Y/n
"you still like him, I mean Carlos."
"No, not at all" the two looked at each other. Charlotte did not believe this answer.
"Are you sure?" evidently Kelly was not either.
"Of course, girls! I haven't felt anything for him for quite some time now."
"so why did you react like that when I mentioned Carlos's name after the race?" Charlotte was determined to be told what she already knew.
"I don't know, I was tired, it's totally unrelated" The two looked at each other again.
"If Penelope were here, she would say that lies are not told because otherwise your tongue will fall out!" Kelly was holding up Charlotte's game.
"let's say I might still have some feelings for him, but it's terribly complicated. I have no intention of going back into that loop, it only made me feel bad. First Isabela, then his career, then Charles, with all due respect." Charlotte smiled and squeezed her hand, "I don't want to suffer anymore."

"You are right, however, avoiding the problem is not the best solution either, Y/n," Charlotte said. The bond between them in a very short time was growing stronger.
"And what am I supposed to do? Put on a dress and go to the party? Go up to him, surely surrounded by girls, and say, "hey, hi! I'm here to be friends and act like nothing happened!"?"
"The idea of going to the party is not what I was thinking, but it might be a solution," Kelly said mischievously; she looked exactly like Penelope.
"I wasn't serious, of course."
"It's not a crazy idea, you know?" Charlotte had been anticipating this moment for a while. She thought that shock therapy could only do her good.
"Are you serious!!!?" Y/n was confused and saw the other girls nodding and smiling.
"Picture the scene," Kelly began, "the guys see us walk into the club, Carlos sees you and suddenly remembers all the good times we've had together."
"Then he'll ask how you are, how you've been doing all these months" Charlotte had taken Kelly's place in the narrative.
"Then he will buy you a drink."
"And he will tell you that he missed you."
"That no one has been like you"
"And then you will apparate somewhere"
"And then you will kiss"
"You should write a story on Wattpad" closed the series of Y/n sentences. "None of that will happen"

"So?"
"Are you in?"
They both looked at Y/n waiting for her answer, silently, dreamy-eyed.
"Alright" Y/n had regretted it the moment she had said those words "but do NOT make me look bad" the die was cast. 
In no time, Kelly alerted the babysitter to the change of plans, and all three got ready to go to the club where the boys were celebrating the race.

"What if, when I walk in, he's making out with someone?" they were already in the car when doomsday scenarios came to Y/n's mind.
"Who? Carlos? In public? No way." Kelly was stating facts.
"What if when he sees me he goes away?"
"Also impossible, he won, he won't go away" Charlotte was also telling the truth. "It'll be okay, we're here anyway" Kelly and Charlotte squeezed Y/n's hands and gave her strength. They arrived at the club, got out of the car and went inside. Y/n's heart was beating so fast, she wanted to leave as quickly as possible but a force of inertia was pushing her forward, that force of inertia had a name: Charlotte, who was holding her hand.

A boy at the entrance recognized the girls and escorted them to the boys' table. Charles and Max were seated on two opposite sofas and talking to each other, respectively holding a drink in their hands; further in that area of the private room, Carlos emerged. With one hand he was holding his cell phone, looking like he had just sent a text message, and with the other he was holding a full glass that he drank distractedly, continuing to look at his cell phone, as if something was attracting him but boring him at the same time. Next to him was Lando Norris talking to a blond girl. Carlos was ignoring everything around him anyway. He was wearing a white shirt, a bit unbottoned with rolled-up sleeves, black trousers and his hair was shiny and messy.

"You came!" Max looked up and saw Y/n, Kelly, and Charlotte.

*CARLOS' POV*

Max's voice roused him from his torpor. He looked up as he took his drink and it was at that moment that he saw her. He became paralyzed. The drink still between his lips, but his eyes fixed on her.

 Y/n moved her gaze toward him and she froze too.

The two stood looking at each other for a few moments, and in those gazes was concealed everything. Carlos felt a flush of heat run through his entire body that immediately turned into indifference. He lowered his drink, swallowed and raised his hand where he held his cell phone to hint at a greeting to the girls.