Lost and Found

What if...

Anthoine hadn't passed away

Sara walked towards the restaurant. Before the weekend of the Belgian Grand Prix had even started, Anthoine had claimed the Sunday to have dinner with two of his best friends.

"Hi." She hugged the two racing drivers. "We are done for the weekend."

"You didn't do a thing." Anthoine gave Sara a pointed look.

"I did. I was very busy taking photos of everything you two did. It was very intense." She chuckled.

"Whatever, let's just go and get a seat at our table." The trio was brought to their table and sat down. They received the menu but as soon as the waiter came around to ask if they had made their decision on what to eat, Anthoine ushered him away with a quick 'no thank you'.

"But-" Sara looked at the waiter and then her menu. She had made up her mind on what to eat and now she was looking forward to just taking a bit of it already. "I thought we all knew what we were getting." Anthoine nodded. "Then why did you say we didn't"

"Just because." Sara and Pierre looked at each other, both with frowns edged upon their faces.

"Anthoine, hi. I'm sorry I'm a bit late." Sara's eyes shot to the side of their table.

What was Juliette doing there?

Sara didn't know where to look. Her eyes darted from Juliette to Pierre – who looked just as confused as she did – and...

"Anthoine what did you do?" The French formula two driver was grinning from one ear to the other.

"I'm sorry, I must have gotten the date mixed up." Pierre, who now also realised Anthoine had most likely set them up to have dinner with the four of them was starting to get concerned. He understood why Anthoine wanted to give some people a little boost together, but putting them at the same table without them being ready was probably not the best idea.

"I think you might have." Pierre sent a small smile in Juliette's direction, hoping she would understand the message.

Sara in the meantime was just staring at Anthoine.

"No, you did not." He said, the grin still tugging on his lips. "Come sit down." He stood up, pulled the empty chair at the table back and waited for Juliette to sit down. When she did, he sat down again himself and remained silent.

"Anthoine." Sara's heart was pounding. She couldn't look up anymore because right in front of her was Juliette. One side of her was screaming to leave. She was still upset with Juliette for everything she had done but the other side of her was screaming for her to make up with her best friend from when she was a teenager.

She did not know what to do.

Anthoine cleared his throat.

"So, how was your day?" Sara didn't understand how he could be so casual. Ever since Juliette had just gotten up and left, it had never been the four of them together again. How could he so easily act like it was normal for the four of them to meet up in a restaurant after a race weekend?

"It was busy. I ran a bit late because of it. We just had some final things to wrap up the weekend." Juliette sounded so sure. She was quite a known face in the formula one paddock and seemed to be nothing like the girl Sara knew in school.

"Why did you leave?"

The conversation that followed was awkward for all involved. Worst of it was they were interrupted halfway through by the waiter who took their order – this time Anthoine didn't send him away. Sara had had a hard time, trying to contain whatever anger was in her heart for Juliette to just leave them but it all flowed away when Juliette said why she left. Her mother had been abusing her. That was why she didn't enjoy skating. That was why she would show up with bruises. That was why she smoked.

It had made Sara feel guilty for being so hard on Juliette when she only tried to give her some tough love. Juliette had needed a listening ear for when she would open up. Not someone pushing her even harder.

The only question that had remained was why Juliette never got back into touch with Sara while Anthoine and her had become fast friends again.

It turned out, filling in the blanks was at fault. Juliette was afraid Sara wouldn't want to see her again, just like Sara had thought the same about Juliette. Both women had a lot to learn in that department.

What followed was a period of regaining each other's trust. But both wanted to work on it after clearing it all up. They tried to meet up as often as possible with both of their careers being in different countries and for Juliette taking her all over the world but when they couldn't find a date to see each other, they settled for a video call.

The more time the two spent talking, the closer they became again. They started to call each other spontaneously and became more open.

And for the four musketeers that were now finally back together? It seemed like nothing had ever happened between them. Although Pierre and Juliette were no longer beating around the bush and had become a couple. They had made the promise to see each other as a group of four at least once a month.

That day was yet a new meet up, though this time, it was a bit larger gathering to celebrate – Anthoine had insisted on it – them being back together for almost a year.

"Carlos?" Sara walked down the stairs. "We have to go." Carlos emerged from the living room. "Ready?"

"I am. Are you?"

"Kind of scared of whatever Anthoine came up with this time." Carlos chuckled and put his arm around Sara.

The meeting point was only ten minutes from the hotel they were staying at to visit Anthoine and Julie who had moved in together after getting engaged. The wedding was in a week, which was probably why Anthoine was in such a rush to get the celebration over. After the wedding and the honeymoon, he would go right back into preparation mode. He was in his second formula two season, only this time with the title of reserve driver for Alpine.

When they arrived at the little café Anthoine had rented for the afternoon and evening, people were already talking, a drink in hand. It looked cosy but nothing special. Apart from one corner of the café where a photo booth seemed to had been set up.

"It seems awfully normal... I feel like I should be afraid of whatever he is hiding," Sara whispered to Carlos but when they got closer to the photo booth, she realised what was on the wall. Photos.

Not just any photos but photos of her, Anthoine, Pierre, Juliette but also other friends of the four. Sara's eyes started to fill with tears as she looked over all of them. Some were from school, the two boys in their racing suits, Juliette and Sara standing on the side with banners to cheer their boys on.

"What do you think? I am not the one who is good with the whole scrapbook idea but you inspired me." Sara frowned. "I ran into your album a little ago when starting to plan. And then I asked my mom for the old ones."

"It is beautiful."

"Let's make one." Anthoine looked around for the other two and beaconed them over.

"Hey, girl." Sara tightly embraced Juliette and kissed her cheek before doing the same with Pierre. They stood in front of the wall, took a couple of the funny props Julie had made and posed for the photo.

"All on Anthoine now," Sara said, with a grin tugging on her lips. Juliette, Pierre and Sara then turned around to Anthoine to hold the props in front of his face. A unibrow, glasses, a moustache, goatee and an eyepatch – all on wooden sticks – covered most of his face. They laughed and held each other close. Something very big would have to happen to ever tear them apart again.