CAPACITY FOR WONDER. | alex albon

ii. the dropout and the demoted

         Supposedly, the morning after that particular night before should've been worse for Charlotte than it was. There was no secret, whatsoever, that she had drunk more than she had wanted to. In a circle of somewhat friends, mutuals, and strangers, before Juniper had been dragged along with her, the drink in her hand had been her best friend.

She regretted her friendship choices with said drink as Juniper woke her up that morning.

It wasn't gentle either, nothing Juniper ever did was gentle really. The first thing Charlotte felt was a jab to her side, then a prod and a tap, repeatedly within seconds of each other. No sweet whisper or gentle shake, no hot drink or breakfast in bed.

"Charlotte, Charlotte, Charlotte."

Juniper's voice was repetitive, and her tone displayed her usual lack of interest -- even more so as the girl laid still fast asleep.

"I'll buy you breakfast if you wake up now."

If any other phrase of 9 words worked as magically as those did on Charlotte, Juniper would have been shocked. Whilst she had no clue why the girl was so fond of this particular meal, it convinced her into many things. Notably, the time the pair of them hadn't talked for a month and Charlotte wouldn't respond to her texts until she said they could talk over breakfast. Juniper had also passed this onto Charles so usually played oblivious if she saw the pair out together before 10.

And so, as expected, she rose. Her bed sinking slightly from where Juniper had placed herself down, a smile toying on her lips.

"Only if you tell me about whoever you were sat with last night." Charlotte negotiated, Juniper's only response being the shaking of her head before she exited the room. For Charlotte, this was response enough.

It was taken by most people that any indication Juniper had actually listened to you, not just heard, but actually listened, was going to have to be enough. Sometimes, she didn't want to give more. Sometimes, she wouldn't offer it. Sometimes, she couldn't show more.

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               After what had felt like an eternity to Juniper, but had really been no more than 15 minutes, Charlotte emerged from her room. Her demeanour was obviously less than usual, less put together, less present, and certainly less awake. But sometimes, and Juniper supposed the poets may agree, less is more.

Less is more applied to the pair in so many ways, something she couldn't help but ponder on as they made their way out of the building and onto the street. Less came in the form of Juniper's lack of presence in personality in some moments, and more came from Charlotte's appreciated compensation. Less also came from Charlotte too, who was less honest than most people may have wanted, less in the way she would tell you you looked great in something if you seemed to like it, even if you didn't. Juniper was the more of brutality in this case, her honesty was harsh and crude at times, but more often than not -- it was necessary.

This was their friendship defined: less is more, give and take, and necessaries.

But there were times when Juniper's brutal honesty became shy and Charlotte's compensated personality grew larger than it needed to.

"So," Charlotte started, in a tone Juniper recognised all too well. "The guy that you were sat with last night? I didn't manage to see his face but it seemed like you'd been talking a while."

A sigh escaped her lips. Whilst it was usually plans that she couldn't get out of with Charles, it was conversations like these she couldn't normally diverge from with Charlotte.

"After you two completely ditched me." Juniper mused with the other girl, and if her words were meant to have any bite to them, she was out of venom. It wasn't like what she said was true either, no part of the pair had meant to leave Juniper alone in a venue she didn't want to be in the first place. It was just another example of where less is more. Juniper showed up to these events less, she had no real reason to be there -- she wasn't dating a driver or related to a team principal, and Charlotte was more -- friends with other drivers and their girlfriends as well as primarily dating Charles.