NOURA COULD COUNT THE amount of times she had been nervous on one hand. She had been nervous at her first ever race at five years old, she had been nervous at the final, deciding race of the F2 season. She had been nervous signing her Red Bull contract. That was pretty much it.
Noura was an extrovert by nature, she loved to be the center of attention. She did every school play, signed up for every sports team, and every fundraiser. If there was music, she would be dancing. If there was karaoke, she would be doing a solo of Let it Go. She loved attention. She could remember every nervous moment in her life.
She had a new moment to add to the list.
Standing in front of her mirror, trying to pick an appropriate outfit to wear was one of the most nerve wracking experiences of her life.
Noura had never been to a 'driver's dinner' before. At least not one full of Formula One drivers, people she had looked up to her whole life. And she would be the only girl.
She also wasn't sure of the dress code, how formal would people be dressing? Should she wear a dress or some jeans?
She had settled for something in the middle and had narrowed it down to two options, a light pink top and a white skirt, and an all black look with a black top and black skirt. She knew the black one was more... sophisticated, but that just made her want to wear the pink one even more.
It was a hard choice.
[ CHARLES NOURA ]
NOURA:
SHOULD I WEAR A BLACK OR PINK TOP
ANSWER FAST PLS N THANKS
CHARLES:
pink
of course
NOURA:
SHIT CHARLES
I MEANT TO SEND THAT TO MY FRIENDS
i'm so sorry 😭😭
CHARLES:
are you saying we're not friends 🤨
NOURA:
umm....
CHARLES:
i'm messing with you
also don't apologize, i don't mind
NOURA:
you think pink?
CHARLES:
yeah why not
pinks a good color
everyone always wears black
you gotta stand out
race car driver barbie!!
NOURA:
HELLO?? 😭😭
pink is my favorite color tho so
CHARLES:
SEE!!
we're connected
telepathically
you gotta wear it
NOURA:
alright
whatever you say
CHARLES:
i'll be there in about half an hour btw
NOURA:
okay!
see you soon
[ BEST ROOKIES O.A.T!! ]
NOURA:
when r u guys all getting to the dinner
cause i'll be there in like 45 mins
one of you better be there when i get there
ALEX:
i'll be there by then
and george too since we're driving together
NOURA:
thank you
i love you alex
GEORGE:
i am very much considering skipping i can't even lie
LANDO:
aww georgie peorgie, are you nervous to meet your idol lewis hamilton 🥺🥺
GEORGE:
NO!
and for your information
i've met him already
NOURA:
idk u sound pretty defensive georgie porgie
this is george when he sees lewis
🥺
👉👈
LANDO:
"lew-lewis" george stuttered, looking down at the floor "🥺 ur my idol"
NOURA:
"do you think..." George's bright sapphire aqua sky periwinkle blue orbs shimmered in the dim light "do you think we could be friends 🥺🥺🥺"
ALEX:
what the hell
GEORGE:
WHAT THE FUCK YOU GUYS ARE MAKING ME SEEM IN LOVE WITH HIM
NOURA:
cause you are 🤣🤣
lando!! what's the ship name!!
LANDO:
leorge?
geowis?
NOURA:
i'm feeling georgis
LANDO:
OMG YESSSS!!!!
cause its like gorgeous
and they make a gorgeous couple
guys i'm looking georgis rn
NOURA:
the moon is sooooo georgis tonight
LANDO:
alex are you feeling georgis?
ALEX:
so georgis
GEORGE:
fuck you ALL
fake friends
NOURA:
it's okay lew lew will be ur friend 🥰🥰
LANDO:
LMAFOOOOOOO
ALEX:
i think you guys missed your true calling as fanfic writers
LANDO:
noura please lets do it
georgis fanfic would go viral for sure
NOURA:
'when a rookie meets his idol...'
LANDO:
'and more arises...'
GEORGE:
you guys actually terrify me what the hell
ALEX:
why are you guys so in sync
NOURA:
cause we're twins
LANDO:
TWINSSS
NOURA:
LOVE U TWINIEEE
LANDO:
LOVE U TOO TWINNIEEE 😜😜
GEORGE:
oh my days you guys are so scary
genuinely
NOURA:
OH 😨
LANDO:
MY 😰
NOURA:
DAYS 😱
GEORGE:
i am removing myself from this ridicule
this is not okay
NOURA:
bye bye georgie peorgie 🥰🥰
LANDO:
i can't wait to see you looking georgis later 🥰🥰
GEORGE:
FUCK YOU BOTH
NOURA HAD BEEN PLOTTING what rude thing to say next to George, but before she could even begin typing, a notification from Charles popped up. He was leaving his apartment and would be at her mother's house in five minutes, and Noura hadn't even put her clothes on. At least she'd done her hair and makeup.
She slipped on the pink top and black skirt, struggling slightly with the zipper before finally pulling it up. She raced out of her bedroom (which was still decorated like it had been when she was 12) and sprinted down the stairs, nearly falling on her face. Her mother sat on the couch, flipping through some book and sipping a glass of wine. She didn't even look up as her daughter crashed around, she was used to it. She even missed it when Noura was staying at her own place in London, it made her massive house seem terribly quiet.
"Mama." Noura huffed in Arabic as she pulled a coat over her dress. "I'm heading out."
"All right. Have fun, habibty. Don't stay out too late."
Noura knew better than to argue with her mother. It didn't matter that she was 18-years-old about to be 19, she was staying in her mother's house, so she would listen to her mother's rules. "Okay. I should be home around... 11 I'd say. I'll text you if anything changes."
Noura's mother hummed in approval. "Tell Alex I say hello, would you?"
Noura's mom loved Alex. She tolerated George, who she found to be too 'try hard' in getting her approval (he was), and she just found Lando absolutely amusing. But Alex? She adored Alex. She always said that she trusted him more than she trusted Noura.
"Of course, mama." Noura stopped herself from rolling her eyes, she really didn't want a reprimand. She was slipping on her shoes, a pair of slingback, black kitten heels. "And Lando and George too?"
"Sure, them as well." Noura's mother waved a hand like she didn't quite care. "Tell Lando that if he wants some growth supplements, I just got my hands on some great ones."
"Mama! You can't just say that!"
"What? I'm a doctor, it's medical advice."
Noura just sighed, pulling her purse over her shoulder and walking over to her mother, kissing her on top of the head. Her phone had buzzed and she could see a car pulling up to their driveway. Charles had arrived. "See you later, mama. I love you."
"I love you too, habibty." Noura's mother patted her arm. "Have fun."
"I always do." Noura walked towards the front door, checking her reflection one last time in the entryway mirror. All was good. She pushed open the door, shutting it behind her before her mother could beckon her back and give her a lecture.
Charles stood by the driver's side door of his car, wearing a light pink top and blue skinny jeans.
"Nice shirt." Noura said, opting to ignore the skinny jeans. She was speaking French for the first time in a while. When it was just her and Arthur, they spoke French, but they usually had Chloe and Valeria with them, who didn't speak a word. She hopped down the front steps, her heels clicking against the stone.
"Didn't want you to be the only one wearing pink."
Noura grinned. "I appreciate it. The color suits you."
Noura wasn't sure how to approach Charles, if she should hug him or just keep her distance. They had known each other, sure, but they had never really had a conversation more than a few sentences long. Noura had always been skittish around Charles, the product of a childhood crush, and Charles had never seemed all that interested in her. But Charles answered her question, opening his arms and pulling her into a quick hug.
"Ready to go?" Charles asked once he pulled away.
"Ready as I'll ever be."
"Don't be nervous or anything. Everyone's super nice."
Noura didn't say anything. Of course they were nice to Charles. Of course they would be nice to Lando and George and Alex. But would they be nice to her? Would they take her seriously? Too many people had brushed her aside in her career for her not to be wary.
"And if anyone says anything, I got your back." Charles had pretty much read Noura's mind. It was a nice sentiment, but many people said they had Noura's back, and very few of them did. People had her back after the fact, they would tell her she deserved better but say nothing in the moment. Noura was fine with it, she could stand up for herself. It was just exhausting having to do it by herself all the time.
"Whatever you say." Noura knew she sounded skeptical.
"I mean it!" Charles insisted.
"Sure."
"I'll prove it to you. Just watch."
Noura shook her head, a smile crossing her lips. His insistence was sort of adorable. She didn't have a crush on him any more, that was long gone, but she could understand why Noura from a few years ago had been so flustered in his presence. He was charismatic, but yet seemed so genuine.
"How've you been, it's been– what– two years?"
Noura nodded, trying to remember the last time her and Charles had come face to face. "At least. Last time we saw each other was... Arthur's 17th birthday? When I came to visit from Spain."
"Must've been."
"I've been good. Great, actually. F2 champion!"
"Congrats on that. Don't know how we didn't see each other in the paddock or anything."
"I usually hung around with Mercedes. I was their junior."
"Yeah, about that! Betraying them for Red Bull?"
"Gotta do what you gotta do." Noura shrugged. "Mercedes wanted me as a reserve. Red Bull wanted me as a driver. You would've done the same."
"100 percent I would've done the same."
Noura laughed, shaking her head. "How've you been doing? Sauber to Ferrari in one year? That's huge."
"Yeah, I'm excited. Feeling optimistic. Ferrari's the dream."
"We're both getting our dreams, then. Good for us."
Charles held his hand in the air for a high five. Noura happily obliged, slapping their hands together.
"Good for us." Charles agreed.
A few minutes later, they arrived at the restaurant. Monaco was small, you could drive through the whole city in less than ten minutes. But on a Friday night, the streets were full of Ferraris and Porches, a couple of Lamborghinis in the mix. The opulent citizens of Monaco were out for the night.
Once the valet had taken Charles's keys and drove his Ferrari away, Charles led the way into the restaurant, Noura following close behind him. It was a nice restaurant, but not too fancy, thankfully.
The host immediately recognized them, pointing them towards a room in the back. The unfamiliar nerves that had been bubbling in Noura's stomach earlier had returned. She was nervous to meet her new coworkers. She decided that until she found her friends, she would be sticking with Charles.
Charles was the one to push open the door to the private room, standing back to let Noura through before him. The room was dimly lit with a huge table in the middle. About half of the people Max said would be attending were there (about 3/4s of the grid), thankfully, including both Alex and George.
Alex and George were sitting next to each other, chatting with Lewis and Sebastian. Alex was doing most of the chatting. George looked starstruck.
"Noura!" George shot to his feet, looking completely relieved that Noura had shown up and saved him from his awkward conversation.
Alex and George walked over to Noura, both looking excited. They hadn't all seen each other since the end of the F2 season. After winning the championship, Noura went straight to Egypt to visit family for a month, then went to Monaco. She hadn't been back to her apartment in London since September. Alex and George had only just arrived in Monaco that day.
Noura grinned, wrapping one arm around each of her friends and pulling them into a hug. "Oh, I missed you guys!"
"Missed you too Noura." George grumbled, having to stoop low to hug Noura.
Noura just laughed, pulling away and eyeing George and Alex's choice of outfits. They both had questionable taste. All the skinny jeans made Noura want to gouge her eyes out.
"Wow George, looking georgis tonight!" Noura couldn't help herself.
George smacked Noura hard on the back of the head.
"Hey!" Noura glared at George, fixing her hair with a grumble. She leaned in slightly, whispering to the two boys so the rest of the drivers, who were busy welcoming Charles, wouldn't hear her. "How's everyone? Any weirdos?"
Alex leaned in as well. "Everyone's nice so far. But Bottas keeps talking about nude photography..."
Noura couldn't stop herself from letting out a loud snort. Pretty much everyone's head whipped around to look at her. But her cheeks didn't flush, she was used to attention and judgment. It never stopped her from being herself.
"Noura!" Charles had an amused smile on his lips. "Come sit!" He patted the seat next to him, across from where George and Alex had been sitting.
Noura practically skipped over to Charles, sliding into the seat next to him. If the looks from all the drivers in the room phased her, she didn't show it.
"Nice to meet you, Noura." Lewis was the first to introduce himself, reaching across the table from his seat next to Alex, who had just sat, to shake Noura's hand. "I love your shirt."
Noura grinned. "Thanks! Means a lot coming from you, you might be the only other person in here with any style."
"Hey!" Daniel, who was sitting on the opposite end of the table (and had obviously been listening in), objected. "I have style."
Noura spoke before she could even think. "Those skinny jeans say otherwise."
Daniel's jaw dropped. Charles shifted in his seat, glancing down at his own skinny jeans, slightly self conscious. Daniel started laughing a moment later, obviously finding Noura hilarious. He slapped Max on the back, shaking his head. "Max is gonna need some luck with you as a teammate."
Noura just shrugged, leaning back in her seat. Alex and George were both rolling their eyes, it was how Noura always was. She made friends faster than light.
Once Noura had said hello to everyone at the table (including her new teammate, who seemed slightly apprehensive, though very kind), Lando had decided to make his entrance, followed by a few other drivers. The arrival of Lance, Pierre, and Fernando meant that everybody had arrived.
After giving everyone an awkward smile, Lando slipped into the empty seat on Noura's other side. She wrapped an arm around him, giving him a side hug.
"I forgot to brush my hair." Lando said under his breath. "Does it look fine?"
"Since when do you brush your hair?"
"Since I'm meeting the F1 grid!"
"You look georgis, Lando."
"Thanks, you too."
"Oh, I forgot to say." Noura flipped through a menu. "My mom says hi, Alex."
"Not to me and Lando?" George asked, looking extremely concerned at the idea that Noura's mom didn't like him.
"To you guys too." Noura waved a hand. "But mostly to Alex. And Lando, she says she has some growth supplements for you."
Alex and George burst out laughing.
Lando just gasped, looking offended. "Dalia said that?"
Noura nodded, biting her cheek to stop herself from laughing. George and Alex were still laughing, George wiping his eyes, Alex slapping the table. They had caught the attention of the rest of the drivers, all of them gazing at the two boys like they were insane.
"Well, tell her I've grown." Lando crossed his arms. "I'm 176 now. That's– that's not short is it?"
Noura just shrugged, still holding back a laugh. Charles was silently shaking next to her, laughing into his hand. His face was bright red.
"Noura, your mom's a legend." Alex managed to wheeze out, shaking his head and flipping through the menu, the occasional laugh still escaping him. Lando was sulking in his seat.
"I don't think you're short, Lan." Noura patted his arm. "You're like twenty centimeters taller than me."
"That doesn't take much." Max had joined the conversation, leaning across the table so Noura could hear him. "What are you, like 150 centimeters?"
"I'm 157, actually."
"Oh wow, huge difference."
Noura stuck out her tongue at her teammate. Max just laughed, leaning back in his chair, shaking his head. Noura smiled, she was relieved. She had somehow convinced herself that Max would hate her, seeing as they were just so different. She was an extrovert, and if she had to guess, she would say he was an introvert. But he seemed to be making an effort to be her friend, or at least to be friendly.
"What are you gonna get, Noura?" Alex asked, flipping through the menu. "A lot of the pastas have pork in them."
"You don't eat pork?" Max asked.
"Yeah, I've never eaten it. I'm not religious at all, but my mom and most of my family are, and I just grew up that way."
"That's cool." Max said. He genuinely seemed curious. "You're from Egypt, right?"
"Yep!"
"Wow. I've never been."
"You should go! If you do, let me know and I'll show you around."
"I've been." Lance spoke. "It is beautiful."
Noura opened the menu, skimming through it quickly. "I think I might just get a caesar salad. My mom made me eat like a whole meal before I left."
"I miss your mom's cooking." Lando sighed.
"Come over before you leave! She'll make a whole meal!"
"I better be invited." Pierre said. Him and Noura had never spoken a single word to each other, but Pierre wasn't one to care about things like that. And neither was Noura. She hoped they would be friends.
"Of course you are!" Noura clapped her hands. Her mother loved having people over. "Everyone can come, my mom can even make some great vegan food." Noura pointed at Lewis, wiggling her eyebrows.
"Well then, I'll be there."
Noura smiled, leaning back in her chair. She was glad that everyone was being so nice. Some of them were quiet, like Sergio and Kimi, pointedly not really speaking to her. Or in Kimi's face, just not one to really talk at all. Sergio was probably just a little bit shy.
"Wait, Noura," Charles said. "You live in Monaco?"
"No, no." Noura shook her head. "Just my mom does. I live in the UK. I'm just here for the rest of this week and then I head back."
"You live in London?" Carlos asked.
"Yep." Noura nodded. "A few streets away from George, actually."
"If you barge into my house at 4AM again, I will be moving."
"You sound like I do it all the time, it happened twice!"
"I'm sorry, Noura, but I really don't care that Ariana Grande announced a new album or that Taylor Swift sang All Too Well as a surprise song on night two of the Reputation Tour."
"Well then, you shouldn't have given me a key."
"I didn't! You stole my spare!"
Noura winced, shrinking in her seat. She had stolen his spare key as a joke and decided to keep it. She thought it would be useful in pranking George. She hadn't been wrong.
Once everyone had ordered their food, Noura decided to make an effort to make conversation with anyone. She even spoke with Sergio, who seemed apprehensive about her but not outwardly rude, and Kimi. Though, her conversation with Kimi had mainly been her talking at him and him nodding with the occasional grunt. At least he seemed slightly interested in what she had to say.
She also had a reasonably lengthy conversation with Lewis, Fernando, and Sebastian, where she had to try very hard to keep her cool. It was surreal, she was sitting there talking with the people she had grown up idolizing. She pinched herself on the leg multiple times.
After joking around with Pierre, answering Max's rapid fire questions about Egypt, and arguing with Carlos about football, she finally managed to speak with Charles again.
"See." Charles said, nudging Noura in the side lightly. "No reason to be nervous. Everybody loves you."
"I am a lovable person."
"Ah," Charles winced. "That egos already inflating."
Noura giggled, hiding her face in her hands.
"Hey! You've got dimples!" Charles said, pulling one of Noura's hands away from her face. "Me too!" Charles pointed to his own cheek. He sounded so excited by the revelation, Noura couldn't help but smile.
All through the rest of dinner and all through desert, Charles never once stopped her from laughing. He wasn't even that funny, his jokes were some of the stupidest jokes Noura had ever heard, but the way he had to stop himself from laughing at his own jokes before he even told them just made Noura giggle.
By the time dinner ended, Noura's stomach was full and her cheeks were sore from smiling.
Noura and Charles had a minute long stalemate over who would take the bill, and eventually Charles had won, sliding his card to the waiter before Noura could.
"Noura, are you ready to get going?" Charles asked, tapping his hands against the edge of the table.
"Yep!" Noura said, smiling at the man.
Noura stood, giving everyone a wave goodbye as they filed out of the room, and making a beeline for Lando, George, and Alex. Lando eyed Charles as he walked towards the door, giving the friends a moment while he waited for Noura.
"Jesus Christ." Lando shook his head, giving Noura a look. "It was like you guys were having a dimple off."
"What?" Noura shoved Lando, checking over her shoulder to make sure Charles couldn't hear their whispering. "He's a funny guy!"
"Not that funny."
"Ooh!" George gasped. "I think I sense a crush returning!"
"Yeah, your childhood man-crush on Lewis." Noura snapped back, glaring at George. "Besides, my crush is not coming back. Me and Charles just get along, is that a crime?"
"Not a crime, but might be against your contract."
"There's nothing in my contract about relationships, and besides, I'm not dating him!"
"Not yet."
"Not ever."
"Mhm..." George didn't sound so convinced.
"Shut up. I'm leaving, I'll see you guys soon."
"Alright, we'll see you, Noura." Alex smiled, giving Noura a quick hug.
"Bye!" Noura waved to her friends, walking to the door and smiling at Charles. "Ready?"
"Let's go." Charles said, gesturing for her to walk ahead of him through the restaurant.
The moment the fresh night air hit Noura, she took a glance up at the sky. It was a clear night, a full moon. The air was cool and clean, and a soft breeze rustled Noura's hair. "It's a beautiful night."
"It is." Charles agreed.
"We should go for a walk." Noura decided, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"A walk?"
"Yeah! It's so quiet, and I don't have to be home for like another hour."
Charles considered it for a moment. He didn't see why not. "Alright. The valets can keep my car for a little longer."
"Great!" Noura clapped her hands in glee, beginning to walk down the street, towards what she knew would be the center of the city. "Got any cool places we could go?"
"Sure, it's about... 20 minutes away. It's a little out of the city, so in the other direction."
"Perfect!" Noura spun around, following Charles.
They walked in silence, soaking in the night air. It was rare for Monaco to be so quiet, but so many of the rich people living there had left for ski season. Noura loved it. As much as Noura loved loud places, like parties and clubs, she also adored silence. She liked to simply soak up the little moments, like a beautifully silent night in Monaco.
20 minutes later, Charles and Noura had arrived at a small hill on the side of the road, just barely inside the city lines of Monaco. They were almost in Ricard.
Charles led Noura up the grassy hill, stopping once they reached the top. Hidden among the trees was an old wooden bench. It had no view other than the road and the trees.
"It's not a great view, but that just means no one ever comes here. And it's enough out of the city and nondescript enough." Charles said, taking a seat on the bench. "It's peaceful, I guess."
"It's lovely." Noura sat next to Charles. "I guess in our line of work we need to take all the peace we can get. How'd you even find this?"
"I was going for a run and decided to do some runs up the hill and down and just came across it. I come back whenever I need a moment to myself. I just figured, this years gonna be a lot for you. If you never need a moment to yourself, you're welcome to use my bench."
"I might just take you up on that offer."
LIKED BY LANDONORRIS AND OTHERS
NOURADENOIRE: your rookies being georgis in monaco
(AN! btw any pics of luisa and lando i might use are supposed to be noura and lando. i just can't be bothered to use photoshop)
TAGGED: GEORGERUSSELL, LANDONORRIS, ALEX_ALBON
VIEW ALL COMMENTS
LANDONORRIS: we're always GEORGIS 😜
NOURADENOIRE: ur the georgisest of all
GEORGERUSSEL63: FUCK YOU.
NOURADENOIRE: 😧😧😧
USER7: i am so confused
USER4: girl what were u and lando so shocked by 😭
NOURADENOIRE: daniel's breakdancing
USER4: are u messing with me right now
NOURADENOIRE: no daniel ricciardo started breakdancing in the middle of a monaco restaurant - no jokes
DANIELRICCIARDO: can conform 👍👍
MAYA.DENOIRE: your brother says to comment 'you look anything but georgis', but i personally think ur the most georgis of all
NOURADENOIRE: fuck off darius (love u maya u should divorce my brother)
NOURADENOIRE: also can he not do his own hate commenting why does he have to bring his beautiful, stunning, amazing, talented, too good for him wife into it?!?
MAYA.DENOIRE: he got a new phone and forgot his instagram password
ALEX_ALBON: wow u and lando look SO georgis in the second slide
NOURADENOIRE: just like u and george on slide four 😊😊
LANDONORRIS: FOUR!??!!
NOURADENOIRE: ur like a dog all i have to do is say four and u come running
CHARLES_LECLERC: why was i not featured?!?!
NOURADENOIRE: cause ur sheer georgisness would just embarrass the rest of us in comparison
ARTHURLOCKED: huh...?
FINDINGNOURY: we're bffs now you've been replaced
SHARLECLAIR: yeah arthur know ur place
ARTHURLOCKED: YOU LET HIM ON THE FINSTA????
USER2: i am using geogis forever now LMFAO
USER6: did she mean to write georgis or can she just not spell
USER5: if you look at the comments it seems like an inside joke
USER1: they really served us the best rookie group ever on a silver platter
USER7: and i will be thanking them for the rest of my life for it
AUTHOR'S NOTE!
charles and noura are already my cuties. u guys are gonna hate me for their plot line
again, i have some things to say regarding my posting schedule. i am physically forcing myself to have a posting schedule, which is going to be two times a week. so every wednesday and sunday, you will all be getting a new chapter. i had been planning on updating three times a week but i got appendicitis and couldn't write as much as i wanted so that will not be happening 😀
anyways, that's all for now! love you all! don't forget to vote and comment!