The Chequered Flag || Lando Norris

11 | Trust Me

We had been in Croatia for a couple days now, and I was having the time of my life. Lando scared the shit out of me when he told me he had been poisoned by a sea urchin on our first day. He had been limping around for days, complaining about it to everyone (he even called Jon). We finally took him to the hospital last night, and the doctor told him he was fine.

All the boys were convinced it was just a ploy to get some extra sympathy from me. I hadn't believed it until he got out of bed this morning and wasn't limping at all. He even forced all the guys to go on a run with him.

I had a few minutes until my call with my friends back in the States. It had been a month or so since I had last talked to them all, so I was pretty excited about it.

Still in my pajamas, I got my laptop and sat down on the bed in the room Lando and I were sharing, my back against the headboard.

I accepted the call as soon as it popped up on my screen. When I joined, Thea was already there, and one after the other, Mia, Anna, and Ella popped in.

"Hey guys!" I said excitedly, "It's been forever!"

"Are you joking Cami? You're the one who's been pretty much off the grid for almost a week now. What happened to you?" Thea said sarcastically.

"I've been busy." I said, not convincing my friends.

"Bull. Shit." Mia said.

"I don't know what you're saying, it's the truth." I said with a giggle.

"Sure Cami. You've been that busy in your last month before school starts up again." Ella said, her eyebrows, along with all my other friends, raised.

"And where the hell are you?" Anna asked. "We know you're not at home."

I paused a second to debate my options and where the different stories I could tell would lead. The truth meant more people knew, saying I was by myself would only raise concerns, saying I moved would prompt questions of "why" that I just couldn't answer. In the end I decided to just tell them the truth, they wouldn't believe my lies anyway.

"Croatia."

"That's new." Ella said, "When did you decide to go to Croatia?"

"A few days ago." I answered.

"You don't have the money for that." Mia joked.

"You're right," I said, "I don't."

"Fuck you Cami." Thea said, "Just give us the story."

"Fine. I'm in Croatia with a guy I met close to a week and a half ago and his friends and brother."

I watched my friends process the information I had just blurted out at them. "Cami... that doesn't sound safe."

"Trust me," I said, "I know how it sounds, but please believe me when I say I'll be totally fine. People know where I am, people know who I'm with, and they aren't hard to track down. I'm completely safe."

I finally got my friends to drop the subject, and our conversation turned to when I was coming back to the States the coming week.

"When are you getting here?" Anna asked.

"Monday morning. The 23rd."

"Are you staying with your mom or dad?" Ella asked.

"My Bomma."

"I love your Bomma." Mia said, staring off into space.

I giggled at her little smile, "You sure look like you do."

"How long are you staying?" Thea asked, "Should we all try to meet up and do something?"

"Oh my goodness, are you all home next week too?" I asked. The girls nodded their heads.

"You would have known that if you hadn't been AWOL all week." Ella took a jab at me.

"I'm going to choose to ignore that, and tell you that I'm free all week except Friday, Saturday, and Sunday mornings."

Anna gave me a quizzical look while Emma and Thea just nodded in understanding. Mia rolled eyes at me, "I'm guessing there's a race next week?" Mia questioned, and I nodded. "So even if we do something on Saturday or Sunday you'll be pooped 'cause you've been up since 5:00." Mia said.

"Friday will be the same too. I told myself I wouldn't do it, but I kinda have to." I said.

"You're crazy." Mia said.

"I know." I said with a smile.

Just then, Lando opened the door, and I felt a sweaty shirt hit me in the face.

"Eww! Lan I don't want your sweaty shirt!" I said with a light tone as I threw it back at him.

"I think you do." He said, "But whatever. I'm gonna take a shower."

"Kay."

"Be out in a bit." He gestured to my laptop as he went over to the bathroom, "You still on the call?"

I nodded, and Lando quickly apologized, "Shit. Sorry. I'll leave you to it." He shut the bathroom door.

I returned my attention to my friends.

"You're making me worry over here." Mia said.

"What? Why?" I asked.

"I've never seen you look at a guy like that before, and I don't even know his name."

"Shut up, Mia."