Beyond the Final Corner | LN4

ʟᴀꜱᴛ ᴍᴀɴ ꜱᴛᴀɴᴅɪɴɢ

Lando.

I hadn't spent more than a couple of weeks at school in years. Racing did that to you-it carved up your time, stitched it into circuits, and stretched it out across places far from here. The track became my classroom, my schedule dictated by practice laps and race days, not bell schedules and homework.

This was supposed to be my senior year, but in many ways, it felt like my first. The first year I'd spend the whole term in one place, the first time in as long as I could remember that I wasn't chasing a lap time or watching the world blur by at breakneck speeds.

A hiatus.

That's what the team called it, though I all knew it was something else that not many people knew of, because why would I go around with label that basically declares I'm incapable to drive anymore.

Racing had been my life since I was a kid, and now it was a distant roar in the background. For the first time in as long as I could remember, I was just a student.

It was strange. Familiar, but strange.

The halls, the buzzing energy of the first day back-it all felt like an echo of something I'd left behind years ago. The courtyard was alive with laughter and groans, fresh faces and returning ones, and I was somewhere in between, tugging at my fingerless glove. And in the middle of it all, my gaze, almost unconsciously, scanned for one person.

Raya Pinto.

We weren't close. Acquaintances, I guess.

People who talked when we had to but never went out of our way to. It was never awkward when we spoke, though. It was easy enough-cordial, casual, as if we shared some unspoken understanding from those years when her dad was my mechanic.

Back in my karting days, Raya had always been there, lingering in the background of the garage. I could still picture her-sitting cross-legged on a stool, quiet and observant, listening to the technical jargon her dad and mine threw around like a secret language.

Her dad was good-one of the best. He'd been with me right up until I won the regional karting championship and moved on to a bigger team. After that, we didn't see much of each other. Life had taken us in different directions, and for a while, that felt normal. But now, being back here, it was hard not to think about those days.

I finally spotted her by the lockers, her back to me. She was laughing at something one of her friends had said, her expression bright and open. It was funny-back then, I'd always thought of her as quiet, reserved.

But here, surrounded by people, she looked completely at ease. I watched for a moment, the pull to look out for her tugging at me again. It was stupid, probably. She didn't need me watching over her. She never had.

Still, I couldn't help myself. Having known about her for so long, it felt natural to just look after her even from a distance.

Later that morning, I walked into statistics class and took my usual spot near the back.It was a class I'd taken in my junior year but I never took the exam and was made to retake it if I wanted to graduate this year. It wasn't too bad, better than having to do literature again.

I was early, and the room was mostly empty. A few minutes later, Raya walked in, looking distracted as she scanned the rows of desks. Her gaze skimmed right over me without a flicker of recognition. I guess she didn't realize we were in the same class, especially since I wasn't a junior like her.

When roll call started, I caught the surprise on her face as the teacher called my name and I answered. Her head snapped around, her eyes locking on me. I raised an eyebrow at her, and she gave a small, awkward smile before looking away quickly. I chuckled under my breath. I wasn't sure why, but her reaction made me feel...lighter.