In Twenty Years Time ~ An Armin Arlert FanFic

1 - Slipping into Slumber

A deep pothole jolted Josephine Sandoval from her thoughts as she drove home from a miserable day of school. She was lost in thought of her argument in her government class today with a seemingly incompetent girl of the same age as her. Jo just wanted to sleep for twenty years. How could someone not believe science? It's proven true- not just theories, Jo thought, now white-knuckling the steering wheel. The girl she argued with today had this I-know-everything-and-you're-just-stupid look on her face. Jo scowled at the thought.
The icy roads she was driving kept her concentration on the road instead of her consciousness dancing in her mind. The annual snowstorm southwestern Pennsylvania had each year was never fun to drive in. Constant crashes, and not to mention the skidding and slow traffic. Oh well- appreciate it while it lasts, Jo chimed in her mind. The snow-dusted trees and ground were showing the budding signs of winter as the newscaster on the radio relayed this evening's forecast, calling for a heavy snowstorm.
"Jo!! Anybody home?" chimed in Josephine's friend, Eri, whom she reluctantly took home every day. Eri was waving her phone in front of Jo's face; Jo directed her eyes back onto the road.
"Eri, can't you see that I'm trying to drive at the moment?" Jo answered, ending in a laugh. She and Eri have known each other since elementary school, and she was the first friend that Jo made after she transferred from Laredo. Eri was rich, living in luxury, but has yet to pass her driving test, so she opted for Jo, who has had her driver's license since May of the year before. Jo, on the other hand, was living with a single parent in a rented-out one-bedroom house that feels like you have 20 over when there's 5.
Jo pulled up to Eri's house. "Alrighty, out you go, you wild animal," Jo said, practically shoving Eri out of the car.
"Okay, okay, I'm going- stop shoving," Eri said, exiting the car with her bag, "Don't crash, will you? I noticed you're lost in thought." Her voice was full of concern, which was kind of comforting for Jo.
"Yes ma'am," Jo saluted at Eri as she closed the car door. "Love you," she finished. Eri walked off, already on the phone with her father, who was at work. Jo pulled away from her house and started home.
---
"Josephine Nicole Sandoval-" Jo's mom boomed as Jo awaited her mother's extreme lecture because of the time-is-of-the-essence theory with her, "¿tienes idea de la hora que es?" (Do you have any idea what time it is? In Spanish). Jo's mom was a first-generation immigrant from Mexico, stuck in the lower-middle-class suburbs because they only had one form of income, besides Jo working the weekends at the gas station down the street.
"Sí, ma," Jo yelled back, earning a gasp from the angry Latina. Jo drowned out the sounds of her mother's bickering but only made it halfway up the stairs before she already couldn't take it. "Ma, it's 3:30- No comprendo porque* you're so mad! (*I don't understand why)" Jo's mother was taken aback at the response. "I'm going out to study. I'll text you with updates." Jo started for the door.
"Mija-" (daughter) Jo's mom started. The door slammed before she could finish. Jo didn't know where she was going to go, but all she knew is that she had to get away from the house as soon as possible. She never stormed out of the house like that, but something about that day threw Jo off of her game. Jo pulled out of the driveway and started down the road with an unknown destination, the music going through one ear and out the other.
After about fifteen minutes, she found a secluded, empty parking lot. She pulled in and chose a spot towards the end, even with nobody in it. Putting her car in park, she leaned back, heaving in a heavy breath, for her chest felt tight. She was beyond exhausted with everything going on; her father's death, her mother's insanity and drinking, and not to mention the pandemic going on. The winter months always left Jo exhausted, unable to perform normal functions sometimes. She closed her eyes, hoping to get some sleep because she didn't the night before because of an exam she had that day. Surely some shut-eye out of the house couldn't be too bad. Jo locked her doors, turned the volume down, and drifted off to the sound of the now mumbling engine.