Chapter Text
The sound of birds chirping. The gentle footsteps of her upstairs dormmates. The quiet hums of her roommate humming tunes while preparing herself in the bathroom. Teio opened her eyes, another exciting day ahead of her. She sat herself up out of her bed, letting out a long yawn as she slouched over, leaning her head onto her knees.
“I don’t have any training until this evening, do I really have to get out of bed…” she muttered to herself lazily. But before she could even think about lying back down, the thought struck her - she was meant to be meeting with McQueen today! At 12’o’clock sharp they had scheduled a dinner at a fancy restaurant, located on the 3rd floor of the often packed Takashimiya mall. Her heart started to flutter - “there’s no way I can lay in bed today! I have to get ready to see McQueen, like, right now!”
She sprung out of bed, without a care for the mess she left her sheets in, and rushed to the bathroom, pulling the handle down without even thinking. As she blew the door open, there stood her roommate, Mayano Top Gun, who was in the middle of scrubbing her teeth clean. She slowly pulled her green and grey toothbrush out of her mouth, hastily spitting out her toothpaste before turning to face Teio.
“Hey Teio, what’s up! The sky of course, heh, but what’re you in such a rush for!” she asked, cheerful as ever.
“Well, I told… one of my friends… that I’d meet them for lunch today, and we’re going to a suuuper fancy restaurant, so I have to make sure I look all ready as soon as possible,” she explained, while rubbing herself on her head.
“One of your friends, who is it? I think I might know who, good luck sticking the landing with her Teio, you’ll be flying off into the sunset with her anyti-” Maya began to reply, before being cut-off by an embarrassed Teio.
“Fine, it’s McQueen! But I promise we aren’t like that or anything, we’re just friends Maya, trust me!” she exclaimed, desperate to hide the growing embarrassment in her cheeks.
“Of course, silly me,” Maya smirked. “Well, I’m not busy today, so I can wash myself later. Go wild!” she finished, as she left the bathroom, a loud thud following as she leapt onto her bed.
Teio was now in the bathroom alone, and she quickly got to business. She faced herself towards the mirror, suddenly noticing the natural blush that had arisen on her cheeks from the mere mention of her racing rival. She opened her skincare and makeup cabinet, nervous as she prepared herself for the day ahead.
~~~~~
“Teio, do you want me to be honest?” Maya asked, as Teio finally emerged from the washroom after what could’ve been hours.
“Of course Maya, what is it?” Teio asked.
“You totally overdid it, I can hardly tell it’s you behind all that foundation! And don’t you think lipstick is a bit overkill, don’t people only do that when they’re going on a date with someb-” she started, before yet again finding herself cut-off for her teasing.
“It’s not a date!” Teio bursted out. “It’s not… sorry for shouting,” she added apologetically, facing towards the ground.
“Oh, that’s okay Teio! I didn’t mean to upset you, I’ll stop teasing you about it, if the jokes aren’t landing properly,” she acknowledged gently.
“Is it really a joke Maya? You can tell I’m totally into her, I just have no idea how to tell her! That’s why I shouted, I’ve kept it all to myself, I haven’t even told you so how am I supposed to tell McQueen how I feel about her?” Teio confessed, her head still tilted towards her feet.
Maya sat up out of her bed, straightening her back and turning to face Teio head on. She’d known her for months now, but she’d never seen her looking so defeated, from the visible desperation on her face, to how low her shoulders hung, she could tell how much this meant to Teio. She leant back, before propelling herself forward onto her feet, standing tall. Maya stepped towards Teio confidently, before wrapping her arms around her in a warm embrace.
“Don’t worry too much about it Teio,” she said gently. “Things will work out if you just act yourself, and communicate how you feel. Tell her when you’re ready!”
“But… but what if she doesn’t feel the same?” Teio questioned, her mind chasing towards the worst case scenario.
“She seems wonderful, Teio! Isn’t that why you appreciate her in the first place? Whether she likes you or not, I’m sure she’ll always be there to race by your side no matter what,” Maya continued, as she soothingly rubbed Teio on the back. She stepped back, as Teio finally lifted her face to meet Maya’s eyes.
“Thanks Maya,” she stammered out, clearly struggling to vocalise her thoughts. “I’m still nervous, but I can’t let that stop me from having a great time with her today.”
“That’s the mindset, now go out and stick the landing, hey!” Maya patted her dear friend on the back. “But seriously, do you want some help redoing your makeup? We can make sure to pick out a great fit together too!”
“You're the best,” Teio said, a faint smile coming across her face, as her mind slowly drifted to ponder about the day ahead.