Drive
"And you just… slow, Mandy, damn, girl!" Miranda Bailey heard her best friend and boyfriend, Ben Warren, saying as she maneuvered his car awkwardly. "Slow down!"
"I'm trying!" She shouted.
"Brake!"
She took a deep breath. "Stop yelling, Benjamin," she told him.
"Sorry," he said putting a hand to his head. Ben touched the steering wheel. "Just relax, babe, okay?" His eyes were sympathetic and caring.
Miranda took a deep breath and nodded. She turned the wheel, glancing quickly into his face as the car finally did as she'd asked it to and eased into the space. Done. "How was that?" She smiled.
"Good." He put his hand on his chest. "I'm still alive." Grabbing her wrist, he felt her pulse. "And so are you. We're good. But let me get out before you decide to drive us some more."
"Don't be rude." The two eighteen-year-olds laughed while grabbing their bookbags and exiting the car.
"I wouldn't be 'rude' if you listened to my instructions."
Waving him off, she put her bookbag on her back. "You're supposed to be teaching me how to parallel park, not aggravating me and screaming."
"I didn't scream."
"You did."
He thought for a second. "I did. My bad." They stopped walking and Ben pulled her in. After dating for a year, this was their normal. With her permission, he commanded her body and she liked how he finessed her curves and how they went toe-to-toe with their intellect and humor. "But…"
"But what?" She asked playing with the straps on his bag.
"You're so bull-headed." Miranda glared at him. "And there it is," he said pointing to her face.
"You're an ass," she said hitting him with her bag and heading toward her house.
"Ow!" Ben laughed trying to grab her bag. "C'mere, c'mere, c'mere."
"No," she said speeding up. With legs that were almost as long than her entire body, he caught her easily, wrapping his hands around her body. "What?" She asked pretending to be annoyed. Miranda put her head back on his chest.
"You know what," he told her.
She pouted a little. "You hurt my feelings."
"I'm sorry," he said earnestly, "But you are stubborn, babe." His statement pissed her off, but she liked how comfortable they were with each other.
"Maybe you're not a good teacher."
He spun her around staring at her and making her melt. "Now I know you're lying." The two of them laughed loudly and broke apart, holding hands as they walked up the driveway to the back of her house.