Charlie Rosewood

Charlie shifted her weight from foot to foot, pushing her sunglasses up. From where she stood on the edge of the racetrack, she could see across the pavement-- where the cars were being prepared-- and to the stands, where the rest of the selected girls stood like colourful cotton candy, dressed in bright summery colours like peach, and turquoise, and yellow. Charlie herself had been wearing a pale purple sundress-- which she would admit looked nice with her dark curls and tanned skin-- before she had to change into her race suit. 

"Here, drink this," 

Charlie tore her gaze away from the selected to Mr. Gold, who was holding a water bottle-- cold, if the condensation meant anything. The selected had lost 1 member last night, though no one knew why. Charlie only found out when Evelyn had burst into her room in a whirlwind of pink and gold, shouting about Ivy Allencourt's elimination, and good riddance. 

Charlie couldn't say she was too upset about it. Ivy hadn't been pleasant, especially to those who she considered beneath her, which was pretty much everyone in the Selection. 

Still, what had she done to anger the prince so much that she received immediate elimination, instead of waiting until the first official elimination in a few days-- after the report. 

"Thanks," Charlie took the bottle, popped the cap, and drank, before pressing the cold plastic to her forehead. It was unbearingly hot today, and she could feel sweat already pooling inside her racing suit. She glanced back at the stands.

Alongside the selected, was the royal family-- guards were scattered throughout the crowd. The three younger siblings were racing around the small area of the stands, while Jamie and his brother were laughing. Charlie tilted her head slightly. She had never seen him laugh so openly-- not that she knew him particularly well-- but she was struck by how human she looked. There was a calm and comfortable air around him that she never saw in person. 

Then again, wasn't she the same way around Killian and Maisie?

The thought made her frown slightly, rolling the bottle to her neck. Gods, she hoped her family was okay. That letter had unsettled her. She had hoped that Blazer would leave her alone-- he had said he would, and she had met his conditions, there was no reason to come after her. Then again, he told her to watch herself. Maybe he was worried that she would spill the information she had on him, now that she supposedly had the protection of the royal family-- she didn't actually expect any protection. She was in a viper's nest of rich people and high castes. She wasn't safe with these people and she knew that. 

"What's on your mind?" Gold asked. He was wearing a boater hat today-- an unusual style, but it worked for him-- along with blue pants and pale gold shirt. On his right breast pocket was pinned a golden bird, a smaller replica of the one that was embroidered on the back of Charlie's blue racing suit. She had never asked him why the bird.

Charlie shook her head, glancing around. The area was crowded with reporters and racers and race crews. "Not here, not now. Nothing that will impact the race, I'll tell you later."

Gold frowned but didn't say anything more. They were all on edge. It was the first of the five qualifying races, and Charlie's time on the track determined her starting position when the races actually started. 

"Racers! To your cars!"

A cheer went up from the massive crowd that had gathered in the stands. The announcer had climbed atop a tall platform, holding a microphone.

Charlie coughed once to clear her throat, handing her water bottle to Gold, and taking her helmet out of his hands. She tugged it on and pushed up the visor, adjusting it until she was snug inside it. 

Gold clapped her once on the back. "Stick it to them, kid,"

Charlie avoided mentioning that she wasn't a kid and that she wasn't sure who she was supposed to be sticking it to. Gold had said the same thing to her every race and it worked thus far. 

Charlie walked out onto the racetrack, passing by the other racers to get to her car, which Hector had moved up earlier. She pressed her hand on the side of the blue metal, tilting her head up to the announcer. She was fairly certain that she could hear Evelyn cheering over the crowd but suppressed her smile. 

"Racers, I want a clean race. Any purposeful sabotage or aggression will not be tolerated and result in your immediate disqualification. Am I clear?"

Charlie nodded in response, glancing around at the other six racers, standing by their cars in bright colourful suits. The man from Belcourt was behind her, watching her with sharp blue eyes.

Charlie frowned underneath her helmet. She hadn't gotten as much disrespect as she had expected for being a seven, but she had a sinking suspicion they were all waiting until the racetrack. 

The announcer shouted the beginning of the race and Charlie slid into her car, snapping her visor down and letting Hector buckle her in.

"Ear piece in?"

She gave him a gloved thumbs-up.

"Good, drive safe, and as Gold would say, stick it to them,"

Charlie snorted, momentarily distracted. Hector slammed her door shut, and Charlie exhaled inside the silence of the vehicle. She curled her fingers around the wheel and tilted her head.

She was going to destroy them.

~~~

It was only a 150km race, and in the first ten or so kilometres, Charlie had put space between her and the others. She was good at driving through small city streets and winding roads-- she had had a lot of practice before she started racing-- which meant she got out of the city and to the main route before everyone else. It was smooth sailing as she drove along the coast, the glittering blue expanse stretching all the way to the horizon. There were people out here too watching, but they were mostly people who lived in the area. 

Now, she curved around a wide valley, heading back to the city. She could hear faint chatter off the radio, but it was a far easier race than the ones she did to qualify. Maybe Clermont took racing more seriously than the other provinces.

"Belcourt is coming up behind you,"

Charlie frowned as Hector's voice crackled through the earpiece. She glanced in her mirror. Sure enough, the unsettling man from Belcourt had appeared at the opposite side of the curve, his green car glinting in the sunshine.

Charlie pressed on the gas and the car's engine roared beneath her. She was already moving at 200kph, and the dial began to tick upwards. Not to mention the way that Belcourt had stared at her. Was it because she was a Seven? Or because she was a woman? Did he know something or was he simply just a dick?

Her brain drifted to the letter, shoved at the back of the dresser drawer underneath the socks. Charlie scowled, shaking her head to clear it. She had to focus.

The buildings began to crop up as she raced through the paved streets and around tight corners. Despite it just being a qualifying race, crowds of people were pressed up against the barrier, waving hands and homemade flags. Belcourt was right behind her now, following her drift around the corner. 

She stayed in front of him, keeping her car just close enough so he couldn't pass-- the roads here were thin winding alleys, with buildings that loomed over them like statues. People leaned out of balconies and sat on patios, watching the cars stream by. 

Belcourt shifted to her side, his car coming into view in her sideview mirror.

"What the fuck?" She muttered, darting her eyes between the mirror and the road. 

"What's going on?" Hector's voice came through, sharp and stern.

"Belcourt is trying to pass me," She responded, flooring the gas. She had to get them both out of the alley before someone got smashed into the concrete.

She could almost see the shock on Hector's face, and hear murmuring in the background. A second later, the earpiece rattled and Gold's voice came echoing through. 

"You are in the alley section, right? Do not let him pass, he will kill someone."

"Copy," Charlie responded, shifting her car so she was blocking his path. It was unnervingly close to the sidewalk. She couldn't make out any faces as they flew by, everything a blur of screams and grins. 

Charlie kept her grip tight on the wheel, shifting left and right whenever Belcourt threatened to slide by her. 

They were approaching the end of the winding alley region, and the streets were becoming busier. Sunlight flashed in between buildings as she flew along. 

"Come on, come on," She muttered. She could barely see anything in her rearview-- just the gleaming green of Belcourt. He was close enough that he could hit her tailgate and send her spiralling into a wall.

Charlie shoved down the spike of nerves that threatened to rock her stomach and distract her. She knew why she was doing this, and she wasn't going to allow some obnoxious Two from taking this from her.

She pressed on the gas. She just had to make it out of this section, and then it was a straight shot to the finish line.

Charlie held the wheel down as she drifted around the last corner, pumping the gas. She was so close.

It seemed that Belcourt didn't care how close they were to a more open road, or that crowds of families with their kids were so close to the roaring cars.

He nudged her bumper, and sped up, forcing her to the side.

Charlie's eyes widened. He was going to force her into the crowds.

"Shit, shit, shit," Charlie veered her wheel inwards. She couldn't let him push her into the crowd, but if she resisted, he would be pushed into the audience, and she couldn't let that happen either.

He shoved his car back on hers, and Charlie scowled under her helmet. She could feel her limbs beginning to tighten with fear. 

"I'm letting him pass me, he's going to kill someone," Charlie hissed through her earpiece, her mouth tight with focus. Letting fear overwhelm her was a bigger threat than Belcourt right now. If you were scared, you didn't get behind the wheel-- it only made you a bigger hazard. 

Charlie tapped her brakes just lightly enough to let him squeeze past. Sure enough, he flew past, and the second he made it through, Charlie pressed her gas down, chasing him through the alleys. 

"Good choice," Gold's voice was thick with rage-- a rare sound from him. "I'm going to have a few words with his company."

Charlie hummed in response as she burst out of the alleys and into the wide-open street that led back to the starting line. 

She would've thought now that she was safe, but Belcourt had other ideas. In front of her, he slammed on his brakes, his lights flashing red. The back of his car approached Charlie's front.

Charlie veered sharply, skidding around him. As she did so, he directed his car into hers, trying to drive her off the road. She had to drift around him to avoid being completely totalled. 

"What the fuck!" Hector shouted in her earpiece. Charlie silently agreed with him. She could picture Hector and Gold staring at the screen up above, watching the cars through the pixely screen.

"He's trying to fucking kill you," Gold hissed. 

Sure enough, Charlie could see Belcourt chasing her down. She had to out drive him, or else she was going to be killed. 

"Copy," Charlie responded, keeping her eyes on the road. "I'm going to leave him behind."

"Stay safe please," Hector responded. 

Watching Belcourt in her mirror, Charlie floored the gas, silently thankful for HEctor's craftiness and mechanical skills as the car glided along.

She entered the arena and the final lap, skidding around the last corner, Belcourt uncomfortably close behind her. She could almost see his sharp eyes through the tinted glass. 

Charlie flew across the finish line, her heart pounding in her chest. She pressed on the brakes, slowing down as she came into the side area. Hector and Gold stood at the edge, both with tight scowls. 

As she came to a stop, her heart began to pound, the pent-up adrenaline and anger and fear releasing itself all at once. Belcourt stopped just down the other end of the area, another province car pulling into the final lap. 

Charlie slammed her car into park, her hands tightening into fists as she turned the car off and threw the door open. 

She tugged off her helmet, stalking over to the Belcourt car. The driver was just getting out, stretching his long legs like he had just woken up.

As he stood, Charlie reached him, shoving him once. He stumbled back, much to Charlie's satisfaction. 

"What the fuck is your problem?" She snapped, placing her free hand on her hip and tightening her grip on her helmet-- it would be a good weapon if need be. Bash him in the face with the hard material. 

Charlie had a family to provide for, a future to secure for herself, her brother, her niece. She had people who relied on her and her success to live, and some jackass Two, who had never worked for anything, almost took that away because he couldn't drive a clean race.

The driver tugged off his helmet, shoving his hand once through dark hair. He had probably ten or twenty years on her, and despite them being near the same height, he managed to look down his pointed nose at her. 

"Just making it clear what kind of race you've gotten yourself into,"

Charlie was faintly aware of the other provincial cars pulling into the stopping area, the drivers watching closely. She had no doubt that they knew what had happened, and they were approaching the small crowd. Not to mention the royal family and the selected that were waiting in the stands. 

"You could've killed someone. There were children in that audience! Do you not understand what you were doing?"

Gold and Hector had arrived now, shoving their way through the gathered crowd to stand behind her. Hector's hand wrapped around Charlie's free arm, his fingers digging into her skin through the racesuit-- both a comfort and a warning. 

The racer leaned in, his hands clasped behind his back. He kept his voice quiet so only she could hear. "You shouldn't be here, I was just making that clear. A Seven and a blaze runner? It would sure be a shame if someone in the royal family or the selection found out who you are."

Charlie made to swing with her helmet, but Gold stopped her. 

Gold straightened up, staring at Belcourt, and then the man who had to be his manager. "Do not let that happen again, or I will be filing for immediate expulsion."

Gold didn't wait to hear the response, and thankfully, pulled Charlie away before she could process everything that had happened.