#also on Ao3 I put what Japanese punk song Annie was blasting

[bathtubdefenseattorney]

Student Driver

Revamp of an old Mikannie fic.

Ao3

Annie’s parents were paying Mikasa handsomely: $50 per driving lesson with the tacit agreement they’d pay for any damages to Mikasa’s dad’s Prius. Still, Mikasa regretted accepting the job as soon as Annie got behind the wheel. They sat together, in the back of the parking lot, facing the homely Presbyterian church that held quaint sermons every Sunday and free pancake “bruncheons” most Saturdays. Though today, on a Thursday afternoon in October, it stood abandoned, save for an excess of squirrel-gnawed pumpkins and made-in-China plastic skeletons guarding the entrance. The air was still and crisp enough for coats, the lot dusted in a layer of drying orange leaves, and the electric ambiance it gave their quiet suburban town could be seen, by some, as beautiful. But Mikasa only had eyes for Annie—the worst driver she’d ever heard of—starting the ignition.

“Annie,” Mikasa said. “Which side is the brake pedal on?”

“Hm,” Annie said, staring at her feet. “The right.”

Mikasa sighed and closed her eyes. “No.” Even here, Mikasa feared Annie could do a lot of damage. Which was probably why Annie’s parents had recruited Mikasa—who’d succeeded in getting her license two years ago—to teach her to drive.

The ignition on, Annie inserted a CD, blasting a wall of Japanese punk noise she’d apparently burned just for this moment. While Annie made a show of adjusting her rearview and side mirrors, Mikasa shut it off.

Annie froze. “Don’t touch my shit.”

“This is my dad’s car,” Mikasa replied coolly.

Annie just shrugged.

“Put your foot on the brake—no, Annie, the brake—and shift into drive.”

Annie murmured something Mikasa couldn’t—and didn’t want to—decipher. Then she did as she was told, shifting out of the safety of park. Mikasa sucked in a breath. She’d done everything for Annie up to this point, including driving her dad’s car to Annie’s house and bringing them to this church.

They’d been in the same driver's ed class sophomore year, though Mikasa wasn’t in the car with Annie and the instructor, Shadis, when—according to rumors—Annie got banned from the program for life. Cautiously, she told Annie, “Gently put your foot on the acc—"

Annie floored it. The church sat 100 yards away, but Mikasa could see the headlines now: Two Dead After Crash Through Fucking Church Wall.

“Stop Annie if we die I’ll KILL YOU!” Mikasa yelped. But Annie grinned, and Mikasa turned to the church that would end her. She thought of funerals, closed caskets, weeping families, her own grave. The wall grew.

But the brakes shrieked, halting the car and jolting Annie and Mikasa forward before they both fell back, front bumper stopped two feet from the church’s doors. Mikasa read a sign above one of the skeletons seated in a rocker: Have a spoooooky Halloween! She vaguely registered that Annie had turned her music back on: the rumbling bass and clattering drums of those stupid drunken punks from Japan could have been the soundtrack to Mikasa’s death.

Mikasa’s breaths came out desperate and ragged, but she was relieved they were coming at all. After a moment, she composed herself enough to shut off the music and turned, seething, to Annie.

“Never,” Mikasa said, “do that again.”

Annie faced forward, staring wide-eyed at the wall. She ducked her head, and her shoulders shook. She laid her arms over the wheel and dissolved into near convulsive, silent laughter.

Mikasa gaped. “I hate you,” she decided at last.

Annie giggled.

“I mean it, Annie. If I died…”

Another giggle.

“If you died…” Mikasa went on.

“Or,” Annie said, “if we smashed into some secret meeting of the Thursday Pancake…”

Mikasa rolled her eyes. Annie could barely breathe with whatever she was trying to say.

“The Thursday…Pancake…BRUNCH CULT!”

Mikasa covered her mouth at the ridiculous thought of Pastor Nick hosting a ritualistic pancake sect. No. She couldn’t break. Not for such a stupid joke. But the way Annie was looking at her, lips pursed like she was trying not to grin too hugely, was too much to bear. Mikasa’s laughter came fast, killing her rage, and when Annie’s laughter turned into a loud cackle, Mikasa completely lost it. They sat there, doubled over, crying, and Mikasa found herself again fighting for breath.

“Put it…put it in park you fucking idiot,” Mikasa said. “Shit, you’re…you’re goddamn…crazy.”

“I’m just having fun,” Annie said, brushing the hair out of her eyes.

“Seriously. I think you almost ran over a pumpkin.”

“That was my goal,” Annie said.

“I’m never going on the road with you.”

“I never asked you to,” Annie deadpanned and turned the music back on.

“I guess you’ll have to find someone else to teach you to drive.” Mikasa ejected the CD and held it out of Annie’s reach. “I’ll give this back when you learn to behave yo—"

“On second thought,” Annie said, putting the car into reverse. “A road trip does sound interesting.”

“Annie? Oh, no, Annie don’t,” Mikasa pleaded as Annie hit the accelerator and swerved away from the wall.

“Let’s go!” she said, aiming for the sleepy residential street outside the parking lot.

“Fuck. FUCK!”

Annie hung a right onto the street, barreling toward an intersection. There was no one behind them, thank God, but there was oncoming traffic Mikasa didn’t want to mess with. Or get killed by. She tried grabbing for the wheel, but Annie held tight. They came to a red light, Annie waiting but clearly itching to go.

“I hate you,” Mikasa said, arms folded as she sat back.

Annie swerved left the moment the light turned green, narrowly avoiding an oncoming car that beeped in distress.

“You idiot!” Mikasa said. “You can’t just turn left right away. You have to have an arrow. Or no fucking cars coming from the other direction. Also, you were in the right-most lane, you…fucking asshole.”

“Oops,” Annie said, a smile playing on her face. “Guess I forgot.”

Mikasa grabbed at the door handle. “Let me out.”

Annie pressed a button that locked all the doors with an audible kerchunk. “Why?” Annie said. “Aren’t you having fun?”

“No,” Mikasa said. “How many near-death experiences are you gonna force me into today?”

They sped along, Annie dodging in and out of the traffic. Then Mikasa noticed: Annie was merging perfectly, still too fast, but slowing, even using her turn signal.

“Hey…” Mikasa said. “Are you…”

“Driving?” Annie said.

“How are you doing this? You’d be good if you weren’t weaving in and out like that.”

Annie let out a small laugh. “My parents are heavy sleepers. Some nights I need to get out. So I taught myself a while ago. I’m paying you to make it seem like I’m learning.”

“Fuck,” Mikasa said. “Wait. Annie, you’re paying me? I thought it was your parents’ idea…”

“Uuuh.” Annie made an expert u-turn—without cutting anyone off—and headed for home at last. “I kinda…” Annie blushed.

“What?” Mikasa said. She’d never seen her classmate act like this before.

“Nothing.” Annie’s fingers drummed on the wheel.

Mikasa’s eyes widened. “You wanted…to hang out?”

“Not…why would I want that?”

Annie picked up the speed, apparently eager for the drive to end.

“Slow down,” Mikasa said. “Hey. Why do you need to drive yourself places? At night.”

“Usually I play chicken with the church wall.”

“Annie…”

“Though it’s more fun with someone else. You know?”

“With me.”

Annie bit her lip and kept silent. They stared forward as she drove, now at a reasonable enough speed.

“Annie, if you wanted to hang out or something you could have—”

“Dairy Queen. I…at night I go to the drive-thru so…”

“You taught yourself to drive. For ice cream.”

“Ice cream’s best at 3 AM.” Annie turned onto her street. “Listen. I’m a good driver when I wanna be.”

“Okay.”

She pulled into her driveway and put the car in park. They sat there, Annie staring forward with her hands still on the wheel. “If you keep teaching me,” she said, “I’ll show you. I promise.”

“I’ll ride with you,” Mikasa answered. “On one condition.”

“What?”

She held up the CD. “I get to pick the music next time.”

A smile tugged at Annie’s lips as Mikasa handed it back. Mikasa unbuckled and slid out of the car. Annie got out, and Mikasa went over to the driver’s side. Before she stepped in, Annie held the door and said, “Dairy Queen tonight?”

“3 AM?” Mikasa asked.

“Duh. I’ll pick you up.”

“Pff. Fine,” Mikasa said, closing the door and giving Annie a wave goodbye. As she backed out of the driveway, she was already planning a mixtape for Annie in her head. Ao3.