back on track

53. the one back in school

I sat in the classroom full of students, the only sound in the room was the clock ticking slowly trying to get to the four when I would finally be free to leave. It was the last exam of the year and the last exam of my studies for now. I was about to be fully free.

"You done?" My best friend whispered to me from behind.

"Yeah, been like an hour" I sighed and we received a angry look from our professor.

"We should do something fun after this" I nodded to her. To be honest, all I wanted not that the school was over, was to get into the plane and head to the season final of F1 in Abu Dhabi, but I wasn't quite sure if that would happen and it was still like almost a month away.

"Something with alcohol, por favor" I told her and she let out a laugh but quickly covered her mouth with her hand realizing that she had let out a pretty loud sound. I smirked to the girl. 

It had been little more than one and half month since I had made my return to school bench, and it had been as awful as I had thought. Hell of a lot writing essays, tests and lectures about the end of our studies. It was funny to think that it had already been three years since I got in to university and I was graduating already with a degree. The month and half had also been a big reminder of how much I had grown to love the formula world I had gotten a chance to be part of for nine months. It was an underestimation to say that I missed it. I missed it more than anything. The first few weeks after the Russian Grand Prix had been hard, I hadn't heard of anyone basically anything. I knew how busy they were, and I didn't blame them for not keeping in touch but the fear that it was that easy for those people, I had really started to love, to forget me, was bigger than ever. Gladly after the few weeks there had started to be messaged and calls from basically everyone, but it wasn't the same anymore.

Finally the clock hit the four and everyone stood up. I was the first on the door and walked into a empty hallway with my best friend Emma right in my tale. As soon as I got to the hallway, I froze and she walked straight into me. There was a guy standing little further away that made my heart jump out of my body.

"Is that..?" Emma asked me nodding towards the man.

"Mhmm" I nodded unable to produce any real words. The guy flashed a smile to me and my brain began to work and carry messages to my body again. I dropped my bag and ran through the hallway jumping up in Carlos' arms. He spun me around the same way he had done many times before. I could feel the happy tears behind my eyes and my cheeks hurt from the smiling. I couldn't really process what was happening right now.

"What are you doing here?" I almost screamed as I looked at the guy in front of me. I couldn't believe my eyes. That was Carlos Sainz in the flesh.

"We came to get you back" he stated. "There's no way we would let you go that easily. Everyone I missing you and we knew that your school ended so you would be free to go to rest of the races" Carlos smiled and his beautiful brown eyes lighted up.

"But I was supposed to go home and get drunk with her" I stated pointing at the girl who was standing a further away from us still holding my bag I had dropped earlier. "WE?" was the next thing I processed in my brain. "Did you say we?!" I was back at yelling.

"Yes we" Carlos laughed. "But if you still wanna get drunk instead of going that's totally fine with me" he shrugged with a mischievous grin, and I punched him on his arm.

"Oh shut up" I crossed my arms.

"Come on let's go" Carlos said but I stopped him.

"Just wait a sec" I ran back to the girl who was starstruck to say at least. She was one of my best friends. I had met her first year of uni and we had hit it off straight away. She loved sports as much as I did, and she had been keeping me company watching races and listening hours and hours my stories and problems. Of course, I had been there for her too, we both loved racing and had applied to F1 for internship, she a bit easier and I just after my mom had convinced me to do it, but I was pretty thankful of that now. She hadn't gotten the job but had done her internship in England in a museum and seemed to had had an amazing year there as well.

"There is someone I want you to meet" I told the girl taking my bag from her hand leading her back to Carlos who seemed a bit lost trying to read the signs in front of him He had for sure drawn some attention to himself and there were many curious eyes on us and couple of people even came to talk to him.

"Carlos, this is my friend Emma" I said as we got back to him. Emma waved to the guy in front of her. "Emma this is Carlos" I ended my introductions and my two friends changed couple words and seemed to get along okay straight from the start.

"So shall we?" Carlos finally turned to look at me.

"Oh right yeah" I realized there was more of this than him and followed him outside. When we stepped outside in the cold air we were greeted by a whole lot of people who all seemed to have whisper about something. Carlos pulled us through the people seeming to know exactly where he was going. I was trying to keep up with the Spaniard while dragging Emma behind me.

"Where are you runni-" I had stopped once again staring in front of me.

"Hey you" Mick was the one who closing me inside of his arms first.

"Hey" I said trying so hard not to sob.

"Are you crying?" Mick asked pulling away looking at me amused. I shook my head and smiled while the tears broke free. "Aww I missed you too" he laughed pulling me in once more before I looked behind him into those eyes I had missed so much, but also was most scared to see. I hadn't told about our last night anyone but Emma, who had forced the information out of me. I didn't really know the terms we were now. I mean, I had talked to him more than once during the past months, but the topic always stayed in the safe waters not getting anything deeper. Still, all I could think about was kissing him right here right now. I didn't even care about Mick and Carlos standing two meters away from us, but I didn't. 

"Hi" I said slowly still my eyes locked with Lando's.

"You left without saying anything" was the first thing he said and I knew he was right. I had woken up early to catch my flight that morning and kissed his forehead before quietly walking out not waking him up, not saying goodbye. Just because I had had no idea how I was supposed to do that and it felt easier to just walk away, which had, when I now thought about it, maybe been a poor decision. 

"Sorry" I said quietly still standing in a fair distance from him and dropped my gaze to my feet not really knowing what to say next or what to do. 

"No, don't be" he said back and I lifted my eyes to meet his. He had a small smile on his lips as he looked at me.

"We really need to talk" I let out a nervous laugh.

"Yeah tell me about it" he grinned back.

I turned around to see all three of my friends staring us. Carlos looked me concerned, probably wondering if I would be pissed that he had brought Lando with him but I gave him a assuring smile telling him that everything was okay. Mick next to him had a small smile on his lips while he watched us, I knew he was still counting on us to end up together. And then there was Emma who was looking Lando and I curiously knowing what she knew. I could tell she was going to jump on me with bunch of questions as soon as she had a chance to do that. 

"So uhm- what now?" I asked the three drivers turning the attention away from Lando and I. "And how did you get here?" I realized that they all had their suitcases with them which meant there was no car.

"By bus" they all said at the same time and my mouth dropped.

"You are telling me, that you two divas and Mick, were able to get here by bus?" I burst out laughing. "I've never been this proud of you" I was leaning on my knees laughing, but the guys didn't find it all that amusing. I still hadn't had time to get confused by the fact that Mick was travelling with these two, but I needed to ask about that later.

"Oh come on, you know it's true" I pointed out to the three pouting guys. "Lucky you, I have a car to use this week" Me having a car was rare so they had at least picked a nice time to visit. Usually, my parents needed both of our cars at home, but for some reason they had let me borrow the other for this week and turned out it was perfect week for that.

"Come on, let's go"