"Alright, Steven, so the basics of driving is pretty simple," Greg Universe said, smiling at his, now taller son, his hands on his hips. He opened the car, then showed him how to put the keys in the ignition. "Alright, Schtu-ball! Hop in the car!"
Steven joyfully hopped into the passenger's seat and buckled up. He smiled at his dad, who returned the smile. "And then you just turn it...this way!" Greg turned the key, and the van started, puttering first, before humming like usual. "You keep your foot on the brake, which is that big pedal down there, see it?" Greg moved his feet for Steven to see the pedal. "Yeah, dad," Steven replied.
"Just push that pedal down," Greg explained, pushing on the pedal, "turn this thingy into 'drive,'" Greg moved the lever to the space marked with a d, "then take your foot off the brake, onto the smaller, gas pedal, and off you go!" Greg pulled the van forward until he stopped in front of the turn for the street. "Turn your blinker on," he flipped it down, clearly so Steven could see, "wait for your turn if you're at a stop sign," he checked the road, both ways," and you're on the road."
Greg continued to show him different tactics to driving a car, including extra rules at four way turns, when to turn the blinker on, and every other small detail. He kept repeating himself, almost to Steven's annoyance.
"Alright, Schtu-ball," Greg said, putting the car in park at the car wash and taking the key out the ignition. "Go ahead and give it a try." He handed Steven the keys from the passenger's seat. "You mean it?" Steven asked.
"That's right," Greg said. "You're growing up, and...you have to learn how to drive."
Steven happily unbuckled his seat belt, and practically bolted to the other side of the car, before Greg had even opened the door. "Take it easy, Schtu-ball!" Greg laughed. "You have to be careful, driving is a delicate process!"
"Sorry, dad!" Steven exclaimed. "I'm just so excited!"
Greg laughed and hopped out of the car, getting into the passenger's seat while Steven adjusted his mirrors. Steven waited for his dad to get in the car, buckled up, then told him to get going. Steven turned the key in the ignition. "Now, the car is going to start moving on it's own once you put it in drive," Greg explained. Steven complied and put his foot on the brake. Steven put the car in drive, then Greg interrupted him before he could take his foot off the brake. "Steven! Be careful with the pedals!"
"I know, dad," Steven said, smiling.
Steven lifted his foot off the brake, then lightly touched the gas pedal, moving him closer to the turn. "Okay, Steven," Greg said, "take us to the beach."
"Alright!" Steven replied. Steven put his blinker on, waited for his turn to go, then took a left on the road. He drove through a couple lights, being sure to stop on red for his father, then drove onto the beach. The wheels shifted and started drifting on the sand. "Alright, Steven, even out the wheels," Greg said. "Turn the same way as the car..."
Steven followed his father's instruction, and turned the wheels the same way as the car. After about three more turns, the car drifted, slowly, closer to the water. "Dad?" Steven asked, panicked.
"It's okay, Schtu-ball," Greg said, putting his hand on Steven's arm. "Just turn the car the other way...slowly..."
Steven turned the car, slowly, the other direction, away from the water. After a couple more turns, the wheels finally straightened out, and he could drive, almost perfectly, on the sand. He stopped in front of the Crystal Gems' house. "Alright, Schtu-ball, so far, so goo," Greg said, a sigh of relief escaping him. "Now just take it back over to the car wash."
Steven put the car out of park and into drive. "How about you reverse, first, Steven," Greg said.
"Reverse?" Steven asked.
"You have to learn how to reverse, don't you?" Greg replied, smiling. Steven looked at the lever for a moment, before putting the car in reverse. "No turn it just a little to the left," Greg said.
"To the left?" Steven asked. "That's where the house is!"
"Just trust me, Steven," Greg said.
Steven hesitantly turned the car to the left, causing it to turn right and away from the house. "The controls are reversed backwards, Schtu-ball," Greg explained. "it takes a little getting used to."
Steven smiled at his father, then took back off for the car wash. "Okay, Schtu-ball," Greg said, "park it in...that spot! Right there!" He pointed between two cones, in the line of cones in the parking lot. Steven carefully maneuvered the car between those exact cones Greg pointed at. Steven was careful not to hit the cones, however he pushed a group over when he parked the car. Steven and Greg both got out, excited, and checked the car.
The two cones in front of the car fell over, as Steven drove too close and knocked them over, and one rolled into another and knocked that one over as well. Besides the three knocked over cones, the van remained undamaged and perfectly parked. "Schtu-ball!" Greg cheered, turning towards Steven, a huge smile spread across his face. "You did it! You drove!"
"I drove?" Steven asked.
"You drove!" Greg cheered.
"I did it!" Steven cheered. He ran towards his father, embracing him and lifting him into the air. They hugged and laughed for a little bit, until Greg was broken off by Sour Cream wanting a car wash. "Just a moment, Sour Cream!" Greg replied, waving a free hand.
Steven put his father down. "I knew you could do it, Schtu-ball!" Greg cheered, rubbing Steven's head and messing up his hair.
"Really?" Steven teased.
"Yeah, of course I did, buddy," Greg replied, smiling and walking over to Sour Cream. "I was just nervous, is all. My only son, growing up so fast! Both gem and human!"
"Dad!" Steven cried as Greg rubbed his head again, harder than before.
"Okay, I'll clean up this car," Greg said to Steven. "We need to get you some hours before you can take off anywhere on the road on your own."
"Alright," Steven replied. Steven walked over to a corner, then handed his father a hose. "Guess we better clean this car up." Sour Cream eagerly jumped out of his car, and over to a bench nearby. He put his headphones on, then turned to his phone. Greg turned the hose on then pointed it at the car. Steven started scrubbing bits of the wet car with a sponge, occasionally putting it in the soapy water.
Greg turned towards Steven, with the hose on, and sprayed him with water. "Dad!" Steven cried. Steven threw his sponge at Greg.
Through their hysteric laughter, they did clean the car, Steven switching to the hose and Greg to the sponge. "Sour Cream!" Steven called, waving. "Your car's done!"
"Thanks," Sour Cream said, handing Greg some money to pay for it, including a tip, then drove off. "Keep the change!" he called, driving out of the parking lot.
Author's Note
Um, I haven't watched Future yet, so no spoilers please! I've had this idea in my head since I watched the movie and even after I've drawn a picture for it, it WON'T GO AWAY! I told my sister about it too, but that didn't seem to help much so I just hope writing about it helps a bit. It's just an idea I had for a month. I hope you enjoy, or don't. I just need to get it out.