Against You

Friends

"And Logan teaches me things too," Alex nods. "Even if he's a rookie, it's always good to have someone in the same car as you who you can talk to about any special hints and tricks. Plus, for the first time, I'm the mentor."

"Hear that Lando? Maybe you should be Oscar's mentor."

The waitress clears the plates away and I groan and put my head on the table. This is all way too stressful. Why can't I just have a normal teammate like everyone else?

"Let's get you an ice-cream to cheer you up, lad," George slaps me on the back as he stands up. "You look like you could use something to take your mind off it all."

I nod and pick up my jacket, following George out of the restaurant into the mild Canadian sun, smirking as we leave Alex with the bill. An ice-cream sounds good around about now. I take a deep breath as Alex storms out of the restaurant and George starts running in the opposite direction. The most important thing right now is to forget about it all and have a good time with my best friends.

Oscar POV

Civil war in the paddock. Now that's a headline. I sip on my strawberry cocktail and throw the newspaper to the floor as Marcus lies down on the deck chair beside me. With a week's gap until our next race, I decided to take some time away from McLaren by flying up here early and reconnecting with the friends I grew up with. Canadians sure know how to do a spa and sauna, and it's nice to get the memory of the last time I was in a steam room out of my head.

Guanyou and Mick sit in a hot tub a little way away, arms folded on the edge to look at us.

"So, is it true?" Guanyou asks. "Is McLaren really a battleground?"

"I don't know," I sigh, frustrated this topic has come up again. "It all seems like nonsense to me."

"Isn't it kind of true though? It's obvious you and Lando don't get on."

"That's putting it mildly."

"What is it you don't like so much about Lando, anyway?" Mick asks. I drop my head back on the sun lounger and close my eyes. I am absolutely sick of answering this question.

"He's a little weasel," I say. Marcus laughs, voice echoing around the room, but Guanyou and Mick both grumble.

"He's actually a really nice guy, and you know it," Guanyou says. "Maybe you should get to know him, give him another chance. I'm sure he's changed since Formula Renault."

"There's no prize in racing for being the nicest guy. Racers should be tough, racers should be ruthless, we don't need kindness to get to the top."

Marcus grins. "So isn't it a good thing that Lando's too kind, then? If he's not tough and ruthless, surely that's good for you?"

I frown at the distant hazy mountains through the window. That might be the first logical thing anyone has said to me on the topic of Lando Norris.

"I guess so," I say.

"I don't know," Mick shakes his head. "I always try to spend time with my teammates, especially when they're more experienced than me. I've learned so much from those types of relationships."

"Trust me, there's nothing I need to learn from him. I already know everything about him."

"About him maybe, but not about racing."

I don't know why that comment stings so much. Do my friends really think I'm a bad racer? I put my cocktail down and send Mick an unamused stare.

"I'm just saying maybe you should open your mind."

"Yeah," Marcus grins. "Otherwise you might find yourself kicked out of McLaren for next season."

That comment really cuts. I'm already on edge about my performances, not sure if I'm actually racing well or if the strength of the car is carrying me, and now my friends are taking digs at me too? I turn to Marcus with a snarl.

"And when are you planning on joining us in Formula One, Marcus?" I ask.

"Don't remind me. I won't even have the money for Formula Two soon. I don't know where my career's gone..."

"Yeah Oscar, you don't realise how lucky you've been in your career," Guanyou says, not allowing me to pause for breath. "You sailed through the lower formulas and only spent one year out of racing before landing one of the best seats in Formula One. You even pushed out a far more experienced driver to do it!"

"Yeah, you should count your blessings."

My blood is really boiling now. What do these guys know about racing at the top level? What do they know about having an arch-nemesis? And they certainly know nothing about how easy I've had it.

"Was that luck, or was it talent and hard work?" I ask, standing up and throwing my towel back to the deck chair. Guanyou rolls his eyes, but somewhere underneath my rage I do understand what he's saying. I know I've been lucky, and that's exactly why I'm getting so worried about losing my seat next year. I know McLaren will drop me for someone newer and fresher if I don't perform.

I drop into the pool, letting the water wash over my head, and the feeling calms my nerves. I start swimming laps, but then someone throws themselves on top of me.

"You'll have to go faster than that if you want to beat Lando Norris!" Marcus shouts, front crawling away from me and splashing my face with every kick and stroke. I set of after him with a determined smile and try to forget about the championship, if only for a little while.