Cola Girl
Summary: An argument and a bet with England results in America going on a date with one of his citizens. What follows is an epic night with the world at their heels which America and his date will never forget.
Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia or the characters imagined by Hidekaz Himaruya. I have created a few OC's and interpretations of country personifications not yet officially in Hetalia yet.
Chapter Four: Space-Time Warping Chauffeur
Friday evening had arrived. America was buzzing with restrained energy and felt totally prepared for giving Coca-Cola- er that is Ava- the best date ever. He would be at his best and that would guarantee his success since he was the total embodiment of America. He was going to dinner and afterwards would dazzle Ava with his show tune style ballads at the karaoke club. America had felt like rocking his favorite colors and so dressed in a blue suit with silver star cuff-links, a white pressed shirt and a red tie.
He decided for the date he wanted to look as 'ordinary' as any other New Yorker as possible so he took a taxi to meet up with Ava instead of driving himself in his blue and red mustang convertible with white interior. As the taxi pulled up to the corner where he was to meet Ava he looked out the window and spotted her waiting for him. Like what happened when he first had looked into her eyes America felt his rushing thoughts skid to a sudden stop.
Ava stood there with her dark brown hair loosely curled in rings around her face in a red knee length knit dress with a cream white sweater, black ankle boots and headband and carried what looked like a red and white coca-cola themed purse to go with her vintage silver coca-cola bottle themed earrings and necklace. His heart was beating erratically for some reason so he took a deep breath and pushed through it, exiting the taxi to approach Ava. His tunnel vision began to vanish the closer he came to where she was standing and he finally realized there were a few people standing at her side.
Ava spotted him and gave him a wide smile while indicating towards the gathering at her right, two guys and two girls. "Hi Alfred, sorry about this but my aunt and uncle wanted a look at you before we left and my cousins decided to tag along because they're nosy."
America's citizens, the burly looking Caribbean American gentleman and Sicilian descended lady along with the teenage girl and preteen boy all were unashamedly giving him scrutinizing looks. America straightened up confidently and stared back at them.
The teenage girl was the first to speak but it was to her cousin instead of America, "This is that Alfred guy you've been gushing about? I think you oversold him Ava."
Ava's face flushed red and she grumbled, "Shut it, Wren. Sorry about this Alfred, apparently this all is precaution for going out with a stranger I only met three days ago."
The preteen boy said, "Well at least this way if you're murdered tonight we can ID this guy since we've seen him."
"You better bring my niece back in once piece, young man," Ava's uncle said still giving America a scrutinizing gaze.
"Now Ava-dear just send me a text if any of your plans change tonight and have fun. It was good to meet you Alfred. We'll just get out of your way now, " Ava's aunt said and ushered her husband and kids away from where Ava and America now stood in awkward silence.
Ava's face was hot with humiliation from the whole situation and she stuttered, "I am so sorry about that. I would have warned you but I only figured out what they were planning after I got here and saw they followed me from home."
America just let out a hearty chuckle began to walk back to the taxi with Ava following along at his side. He shrugged with nonchalance and said, "No, it's fine. Your family really cares a lot about you and that's cool for you Coca-cola."
"Thanks for being so understanding then, Pepsi," Ava replied as she relaxed slightly and smiled at him again.
"Pepsi?" America asked stumbling a bit in surprise, a little baffled at his new nickname.
Ava giggled with nerves and explained, "Yeah well, I have the Coca-cola theme going for me apparently but you're rocking the Pepsi colors: red tie, white shirt and a blue suit, right?"
"It's not Pepsi, it's American," America said, feigning insult. It was an apt observation actually and he could appreciate Ava's good humor about his nickname for her.
"Or it could be English, French or like forty other countries," Ava teased as she entered the taxi with America holding the door open for her.
"No way, it has to be American," America argued as he slid in beside Ava, "My birthday's July fourth after all!"
"Lucky you! You get fireworks on your birthday. Mine is on March first so I don't have a holiday to celebrate with. At least not here in America but if I'm ever in Iceland on my birthday they will be celebrating Beer Day so I can fake that Iceland is celebrating for me."
America cackled with laughter, "Iceland has a holiday called Beer Day!? That's hilarious! I'm surprised it isn't a holiday of Germany's."
"Are you kidding?" Ava laughed alongside America, "Germany has a whole month set aside to celebrate beer. That's what Oktoberfest is about, right?"
"Oh how could I have forgotten? Germany loves beer too much to set aside a measly day to celebrate it," America mocked, before relaxing back into his seat and changing topics, "You're a lifesaver by the way so thanks again for agreeing to come along with me tonight."
"Not a problem. Where are we going for this event of yours anyway?" Ava asked.
"It's at the Waldorf Astoria actually," America said, "I have to be there at seven to start evaluating the chefs to pick one."
Ava stared at America in confusion and said, "But it's six-thirty right now. Isn't the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan?"
"Yeah, so what's the problem?" America asked not understanding Ava's confusion.
"So we're on Staten Island and I know from, ah, personal experience that it takes like an hour to get from Manhattan to Staten Island so we're probably going to be late if we need to be there at seven," Ava admitted and America's eyes widened in the realization that what she said was true. He was going to be late! This would make him look like an idiot if he couldn't find a way to get there in time. Too bad instant teleportation technology wasn't invented yet. He unfortunately only had one option remaining for him to fix this SNAFU.
"I might have an idea to fix this mess," America admitted to Ava before turning to the taxi drive, "Just drop us off here at the corner, Louie. Thanks."
America paid the taxi driver and pulled Ava out of the car before taking a deep breath and turned to her to speak with a somber tone of voice, "I wasn't expecting to expose you to so much peril while with me but I have no choice. Remember my buddy Maghreb from Wednesday? I'm gonna need to call him for a ride."
Ava tilted her head to the side let out a confused, "Oh? How will that help?"
"Watch this," America said and took out his cell phone, dialed a number and spoke once Morocco picked up, "Hey buddy, you know how I hid the keys to the car and said you had to find your own way to the hotel? Well I had an unexpected change of plans. The keys are above the front door on a hook and I'll let you use the car until Sunday if you pick me and Ava up at Richmond and Forest Hill right away. Thanks!"
America disconnected his line and shuddered as an echo of terror swept through him. He turned to Ava and said, "He'll be here in about thirty seconds so let's wait a little closer to the building, okay?" America took Ava carefully by her arm and led her closer to the wall of the building.
"It can't be that bad can it?" Ava asked and winced when there was a sound like a combination of the roar of an engine and the crack of thunder. Like a mirage come to life a nice looking red and blue mustang stopped right in front of them with the wheels up on the sidewalk right where they would have been standing if America hadn't led them closer to the building.
America shuddered and said, "Maghreb can bend space and time with his driving but thinks traffic laws are just suggestions."
"Is this a good idea?" Ava asked skeptically as she watched Maghreb wave hello from where he sat in the driver's seat of the car.
"If I want to be on time it's the only way," America said gravely and once again opened the door for Ava and slid in the back to sit beside her. Maghreb adjusted the rear-view mirror to look at Ava and America and gave an excited bright white smile to the both of them.
"Danks for letting me use de car. De way you were talking I was dinking dat driving in New York City would be dangerous but it is much safer den parts of my capital and other cities," Morocco said cheerily, "I will get us to de hotel in five minutes with no issue."
America grabbed Ava's hand and gripped the seat below him with his free hand before leaning in to whisper to her, "There's nothing to be ashamed of if you need to close your eyes or squeeze my hand at any point of time in the next five minutes."
"Thanks I'll keep that in mind," Ava whispered back before Morocco sped off without another moment to spare. Ava immediately gripped onto America's hand like a vice when the buildings and street seemed to warp and bow like they were made of melted wax. All light seemed to focus onto a single bright point of light directly ahead of them and Ava let out a yelp when she felt the car shift and bounce as the items in the road like other cars, pedestrians and traffic cones were nimbly dodged like the car was a ballerina making way through a crowd of beached walruses.
Morocco changed lanes without warning and was now driving against traffic as well as reaching something close to five times the speed of sound, the oncoming traffic was much easier to avoid since he could actually see them coming at him. Soon the sight of the Waldorf Astoria caught his attention and he switched onto the correct side of the road, slowing down enough that a geriatric old man had to be shoved aside by a good Samaritan businessman so as not to be hit when Morocco drove up onto the sidewalk. The car hit an incline and flew up into the air, making a horizontal 180 degree turn before stopping and dropping right in front of the drop off point at front of the hotel. America and Ava staggered out of the car like a pair of drunks, clinging to each other in the mutual support of having their lives flash in front of their eyes.
"I think I saw God," Ava mumbled into America's shoulder since she was holding herself up by clinging to his arm with all her might, "and I think I heard the voice of James Earl Jones singing Total Eclipse of The Heart."
"Lucky," America muttered back trying to reorient himself in the present, "all I saw was Elvis Presley dressed like Marilyn Monroe and I heard the Beach Boys singing in Klingon."
"So we're still alive? That's good, it would've sucked to die before our date actually started for real," Ava airily admitted, still feeling a bit disconnected from her body. She realized she was far to into America's personal space and disentangled herself from his arm to straighten up her now flyaway hair and slightly crumpled clothing. America waved goodbye to Morocco as he tore away from the hotel to explore somewhere else in the city, not terribly interested in snooping in on America's date. Terraconnect would likely be popping tonight with updates from any nosy countries dropping by to investigate America and his date anyway.
"Well we made it here in one piece with at least fifteen minutes to spare so I count this as a win," America said with his energy returning to him. He offered a hand out to Ava and excitedly pulled her along towards the front entrance of the hotel and the unknown chaos that was awaiting them there.
END CHAPTER FOUR
The date finally started! Thank you to those who have followed, favored or reviewed this. Please let me know how you like it thus far as well. Thanks a bunch!
