✮ Her head wished she had went on thinking he was an infuriating, overly-confident, horribly handsome asshole, that hated her people and always put himself first. Her heart knew he wasn't any of those things. He was a celestial; a man plucked from t...
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"It hurts to love. It's like giving yourself to be flayed and knowing that at any moment the other person may just walk off with your skin."
—Susan Sontag
Day 92
"I really don't see the point of this," Astoria mumbled, climbing into the drivers seat of the rover. Raven sat on the passenger's side, and Miller had just climbed into the back with Bellamy after taking a turn practicing driving himself. Now, it was time for Astoria to learn, and she felt sick as she closed her door.
Kane thought it was best for a small group of them to be able to drive, just in case they were ever in the position where they had to. Raven was the self proclaimed teacher, and Bellamy simply came along because he thought it would be hilarious to watch Astoria get behind the wheel of the rover. Miller wasn't half bad, though Astoria had gripped tightly to the bench in the back as he was driving. She knew she was going to be much worse, however.
"You're over thinking it," Bellamy spoke up, leaning between the two front seats.
Astoria rolled her eyes, and when she didn't move any further Raven cleared her throat. "You'll have to put your hands on the wheel, Toria," she instructed, and with a huff the girl did as she was told. "Great, now put your foot on the break - no the other pedal - okay, now put the car into drive," Astoria did as she said, gripping the steering wheel tightly after pushing the gear stick into position. She watched Miller carefully during his turn, but she still felt clueless. "Now, lightly put your foot on the gas-"
She cut herself off when Astoria pushed the pedal too roughly and they jolted backwards, though she quickly slammed the break and they all fell forward. Bellamy had to grip the seats tighter, and Astoria huffed and turned to push him back.
"Back off, Blake," Raven added, shaking her head. "You're stressing her out," she complained, and Astoria took a deep breath.
"Everything is stressing me out," she clarified, flexing her fingers over the wheel. She looked at her missing pinky and moved the stub slightly - life with only nine fingers wasn't any different to life with ten, but she supposed she lost the best one she could have. If she had lost one of her thumbs it would have a very different story. "I'm gonna drive straight into a tree and kill you all."
Miller snickered from back seat, "You're great at making us feel safe in your hands."
Astoria rolled her eyes, and Raven looked back to the two boys. "Both of you be quiet," she warned them, and Bellamy smiled and sat back. "The pedals are super sensitive, so you don't have to hit them so hard," she explained kindly, and Astoria took a deep breath before trying again.
The wheel felt powerful in her hands, and every so often she swerved a little, but other than that she was able to move through the barrels they had set up. She even managed to put the car back into park, and once she did she quickly got out of the drivers seat to get her feet on the earth once more. Bellamy and Miller laughed at her eagerness as Raven clapped for how well she done with a large smile on her face.
