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littlewolfstar!
Dec. 27th, 2011 08:01 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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go_exchangeTitle: Driving Practice
Author:morelindo
Recipient:littlewolfstar
Author's Notes: I couldn't really resist the road trip prompt after reading the Road Trip series bystupid_drawings in the Sherlock BBC fandom. This piece is quite heavily influenced by that series.
Brian, Wensleydale and Pepper are looking at the car in the driveway in front of Adam’s family’s house. It’s almost new. Adam’s driving licence is very new. Pepper is carrying a cooler bag.
“Adam, are you sure this is a good idea?” The look on Pepper’s face is skeptical.
“No.”
“Then why...”
“I’m sure it’s a brilliant idea.” Adam is grinning all over his face.
“Cor.”
“Get in.”
Four car doors open and shut in quick succession, four seat belts click into position. Pepper’s in the front seat, smiling at the fact that none of them even questioned the seating order.
Brian wriggles in his seat. “So, where are we going?”
Pepper takes a deep breath. “Adam says it’s a road trip. We’re not going anywhere in particular.”
“Cor,” says Wensleydale. “What’s the point in that?”
Adam grabs the steering wheel and turns the key in the ignition. “It’s driving practice.”
“That’s what you say.” Pepper lays out a map on her knees and hands each of the boys a bottle of water and a cereal bar. “And don’t touch the cooler bag.” Brian and Wensleydale in the backseat look at each other, then slowly drag their hands back and hold them very close to their bodies.
Adam puts the car into gear and starts driving through Lower Tadfield. After ten minutes, they pass Norton, and then they’re on to open roads.
Five minutes later Wensleydale starts tapping rhythms on the inside of the car door. Brian’s hand starts creeping towards the cooler bag again, then he catches Pepper’s glare in the mirror. Adam is tapping rhythms on the steering wheel, unconsciously in sync with Wensleydale.
“Queen.”
“The Smiths.”
“JOURNEY!”
“For God’s sake.” Pepper grabs a CD from the glove compartment at random, muttering “anything that will shut you up” under her breath.
Five seconds later, Freddie Mercury is belting “I Want To Break Free” out of the tiny speakers.
The car vibrates. Wensleydale and Adam sing along.
Brian joins them. He’s horribly out of tune.
Pepper rolls her eyes.
Brian stops singing.
Pepper feels guilty.
The CD moves through the history of Classic Rock. Pepper moves her fingers across the map. Brian moves his hand towards the cooler box. So does Wensleydale. Their hands find each other. They grip, look, then quickly look away again and keep their hands to themselves.
The next five minutes, each of them look out of the window, pretending that open fields with no animals in them are the most interesting thing in the world.
“Are you sure we’re going the right way, Adam?”
Adam frowns. “What do you mean?”
Pepper sighs. “I mean, you know where we’re going, even if it’s nowhere in particular?”
Adam doesn’t answer.
“You don’t, do you. Typical.” Pepper looks out of the window, pretending she knows where they are.
They stop at a services. Adam needs food. Brian needs the loo. Wensleydale needs a fag. The car needs petrol.
Pepper needs a break.
She opens the boot and sits in it, guarding the cooler bag with her left arm. Adam sits down on the other side. Pepper hands him a sandwich out of the bag. It’s tuna and sweetcorn, his favourite. He smiles. Pepper smiles back and bites into her own sandwich.
Wensleydale has no ID, so the cashier won’t sell him cigarettes. Brian comes back from the loo and tries to buy cigarettes, but the cashier thinks his ID is fake.
They get back to the car with no cigarettes, standing in front of Pepper and Adam.
There’s an awkward silence.
Five minutes later, Pepper is back out of the station with a bar of Galaxy chocolate and a packet of Marlboro’s.
The boys look at each other. They all have a question on the tip of their tongues. They all know better than to ask it.
“Thanks,” says Wensleydale and rummages in his wallet for money.
“Go somewhere where I won’t get the smoke in my eyes,” says Pepper, breaking into the chocolate bar.
Brian and Wensleydale wander off. Adam turns around to look after them. Pepper pretends not to notice Adam’s arm touching hers. Adam pretends not to notice Pepper’s knee touching his.
They sit in silence, drinking water and watching other people get out of and into their cars. A drop of water hits Pepper on the nose. Then a second. Then it starts raining properly.
They get up. Pepper grabs the cooler bag. Adam slams the boot of the car shut. Pepper sets the bag down on the backseat, then gets into the car shortly before Brian and Wensleydale come running towards it and get in the backseat.
Adam puts the car into gear and looks at Pepper. Pepper looks back. Adam nods and reverses to get the car back onto the road.
Brian gives Wensleydale a handkerchief for his face. Wensleydale gives Brian a thankful look. Adam gives the car a little less speed. Pepper gives directions.
The rain gets worse.
Adam puts the CD back on. Pepper wants to ask him to turn the music off again, but even she has to admit that hearing “Don’t Stop Believing” over the sound of raindrops on a car roof is almost atmospheric.
The boys in the backseat jointly come to the conclusion that there’s only one thing less interesting than empty fields with no animals in: wet, empty fields with no animals in. They stare at the windows and the patterns that the flowing rain makes on them. Both simultaneously get bored and turn their heads. They lock eyes. Brian smiles shyly. Wensleydale looks at his shoes.
“Here Comes The Sun” comes on on the CD player, and the rain suddenly stops.
Brian looks grateful. Wensleydale looks surprised. Adam looks satisfied.
Pepper looks at the three of them in turn and decides not to bother. They get to Adam’s family’s house, stop, and get out of the car.
“That was fun,” says Wensleydale.
“Cor,” says Brian.
“Wasnt it just?” says Adam.
“Not bad,” says Pepper.
The boys slam the door shut and follow Adam into the house for a cup of tea. Pepper sighs, grabs the cooler bag from the backseat, and makes her way into the house as well.
Author:
morelindoRecipient:
littlewolfstarAuthor's Notes: I couldn't really resist the road trip prompt after reading the Road Trip series by
stupid_drawings in the Sherlock BBC fandom. This piece is quite heavily influenced by that series.Brian, Wensleydale and Pepper are looking at the car in the driveway in front of Adam’s family’s house. It’s almost new. Adam’s driving licence is very new. Pepper is carrying a cooler bag.
“Adam, are you sure this is a good idea?” The look on Pepper’s face is skeptical.
“No.”
“Then why...”
“I’m sure it’s a brilliant idea.” Adam is grinning all over his face.
“Cor.”
“Get in.”
Four car doors open and shut in quick succession, four seat belts click into position. Pepper’s in the front seat, smiling at the fact that none of them even questioned the seating order.
Brian wriggles in his seat. “So, where are we going?”
Pepper takes a deep breath. “Adam says it’s a road trip. We’re not going anywhere in particular.”
“Cor,” says Wensleydale. “What’s the point in that?”
Adam grabs the steering wheel and turns the key in the ignition. “It’s driving practice.”
“That’s what you say.” Pepper lays out a map on her knees and hands each of the boys a bottle of water and a cereal bar. “And don’t touch the cooler bag.” Brian and Wensleydale in the backseat look at each other, then slowly drag their hands back and hold them very close to their bodies.
Adam puts the car into gear and starts driving through Lower Tadfield. After ten minutes, they pass Norton, and then they’re on to open roads.
Five minutes later Wensleydale starts tapping rhythms on the inside of the car door. Brian’s hand starts creeping towards the cooler bag again, then he catches Pepper’s glare in the mirror. Adam is tapping rhythms on the steering wheel, unconsciously in sync with Wensleydale.
“Queen.”
“The Smiths.”
“JOURNEY!”
“For God’s sake.” Pepper grabs a CD from the glove compartment at random, muttering “anything that will shut you up” under her breath.
Five seconds later, Freddie Mercury is belting “I Want To Break Free” out of the tiny speakers.
The car vibrates. Wensleydale and Adam sing along.
Brian joins them. He’s horribly out of tune.
Pepper rolls her eyes.
Brian stops singing.
Pepper feels guilty.
The CD moves through the history of Classic Rock. Pepper moves her fingers across the map. Brian moves his hand towards the cooler box. So does Wensleydale. Their hands find each other. They grip, look, then quickly look away again and keep their hands to themselves.
The next five minutes, each of them look out of the window, pretending that open fields with no animals in them are the most interesting thing in the world.
“Are you sure we’re going the right way, Adam?”
Adam frowns. “What do you mean?”
Pepper sighs. “I mean, you know where we’re going, even if it’s nowhere in particular?”
Adam doesn’t answer.
“You don’t, do you. Typical.” Pepper looks out of the window, pretending she knows where they are.
They stop at a services. Adam needs food. Brian needs the loo. Wensleydale needs a fag. The car needs petrol.
Pepper needs a break.
She opens the boot and sits in it, guarding the cooler bag with her left arm. Adam sits down on the other side. Pepper hands him a sandwich out of the bag. It’s tuna and sweetcorn, his favourite. He smiles. Pepper smiles back and bites into her own sandwich.
Wensleydale has no ID, so the cashier won’t sell him cigarettes. Brian comes back from the loo and tries to buy cigarettes, but the cashier thinks his ID is fake.
They get back to the car with no cigarettes, standing in front of Pepper and Adam.
There’s an awkward silence.
Five minutes later, Pepper is back out of the station with a bar of Galaxy chocolate and a packet of Marlboro’s.
The boys look at each other. They all have a question on the tip of their tongues. They all know better than to ask it.
“Thanks,” says Wensleydale and rummages in his wallet for money.
“Go somewhere where I won’t get the smoke in my eyes,” says Pepper, breaking into the chocolate bar.
Brian and Wensleydale wander off. Adam turns around to look after them. Pepper pretends not to notice Adam’s arm touching hers. Adam pretends not to notice Pepper’s knee touching his.
They sit in silence, drinking water and watching other people get out of and into their cars. A drop of water hits Pepper on the nose. Then a second. Then it starts raining properly.
They get up. Pepper grabs the cooler bag. Adam slams the boot of the car shut. Pepper sets the bag down on the backseat, then gets into the car shortly before Brian and Wensleydale come running towards it and get in the backseat.
Adam puts the car into gear and looks at Pepper. Pepper looks back. Adam nods and reverses to get the car back onto the road.
Brian gives Wensleydale a handkerchief for his face. Wensleydale gives Brian a thankful look. Adam gives the car a little less speed. Pepper gives directions.
The rain gets worse.
Adam puts the CD back on. Pepper wants to ask him to turn the music off again, but even she has to admit that hearing “Don’t Stop Believing” over the sound of raindrops on a car roof is almost atmospheric.
The boys in the backseat jointly come to the conclusion that there’s only one thing less interesting than empty fields with no animals in: wet, empty fields with no animals in. They stare at the windows and the patterns that the flowing rain makes on them. Both simultaneously get bored and turn their heads. They lock eyes. Brian smiles shyly. Wensleydale looks at his shoes.
“Here Comes The Sun” comes on on the CD player, and the rain suddenly stops.
Brian looks grateful. Wensleydale looks surprised. Adam looks satisfied.
Pepper looks at the three of them in turn and decides not to bother. They get to Adam’s family’s house, stop, and get out of the car.
“That was fun,” says Wensleydale.
“Cor,” says Brian.
“Wasnt it just?” says Adam.
“Not bad,” says Pepper.
The boys slam the door shut and follow Adam into the house for a cup of tea. Pepper sighs, grabs the cooler bag from the backseat, and makes her way into the house as well.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2011-12-28 04:54 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-06-22 11:45 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-12-28 07:04 pm (UTC)Them shenanigans and youthful spirits and roadtrip! This has made me ache to be on the road again myself! Just lovely!
Thank you soo much for this lovely gift, dear author!!!
(no subject)
Date: 2012-06-22 11:46 pm (UTC)(Also I wasn't tracking this post so I am years late with commenting, ack.)
(no subject)
Date: 2012-01-16 05:16 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-06-22 11:46 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-06-20 03:59 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-06-20 06:11 am (UTC)Thanks also for linking me to this comment; I wasn't tracking the post so finding this and the other comments was a rather lovely experience.
The Them are so much fun both to read and write, I'm glad to hear this has given you such joy.