Age 16, The Car
Fatin POV (Age 16)
She doesn’t get one on her birthday. Fatin gets a card from her parents with a voucher to pick something out that she likes.
And Fatin knows why.
Leah is typically happier in some cars more than others. Both she and Rana know for a fact that Leah hates how loud Samad’s car is, normally putting on her headphones whenever he picked her up in it. However, Samad loved that car like a child and Fatin and Rana both knew there would be no parting him from the thing.
“Pick whatever you want,” Rana said with a smile.
“Anything?”
“Within reason,” she adjusted. “Don’t go spending anywhere near what your father would.”
“I don’t spend much!” Samad argued.
“You spend far too much.” Rana kissed his cheek.
Over the coming weeks, Fatin took her time, researching car types that Leah might find more comfortable. Leah liked space so that was a must. She liked quiet. Too much sun would be unwanted so tinted windows were also added to the list. Warming seats, Fatin added to the list because whenever she got anxious, she often ran either too hot or too cold. The list was added to each day, things that Leah would like as well as things Fatin wanted like a matte black paint job.
When asked Leah was of little use because Leah had never wanted Fatin to give up something she wanted for her comfort. Instead, she smiled and told Fatin that whatever she picked would be perfect.
The list grows more. A clear audio system for herself. An electric vehicle because it will be quieter but also because Leah loathes the smell of gas when refilling.
“Leah,” Fatin hums, looking up from her desk and over to her bed the next month having finally drafted up her list. (She may have included a spreadsheet comparing each feature in her top pics.)
“Yeah?”
“Do you want to come with me to grab a car on the weekend? I’ve narrowed it down to three.”
“You want me there?”
“Obvi, you’ll be in the car almost as often as me.”
Leah paused, lowering her book. “It’s your car. You pick whatever you like. Didn’t you say you wanted a McLaren Spider?”
Shit that girl had an irritatingly good memory. “Did I?”
“Yes. Six months ago, you were trying to figure out if they would do a hot pink paint job.”
“Huh.” Fatin turned back around to face the screen. “Tastes change, hot pink sports cars are so last month. Plus, the Kardashians had some cute SUVs and they seem so cool. Like Bella in Twilight with her bulletproof can’t-kill-a-bitch-mobile.”
“I don’t think it was called that,” Leah said with a laugh.
“Are you coming with me or not? I’ll have to deal with some gross alpha salesman, and I need you there to stop me from yelling at them.”
“Fine, I’ll go with you.”
“The Sanpellegrino is free?” Leah asked as she held the can in her hand.
“Honey this car will cost more than my tuition. The least they can do is provide us with a drink.”
Leah rolled her eyes, curling into her side.
“Which one are we looking at first?” The sales guy asked, teeth so white they matched his bleached shirt.
“The Hyundai Ioniq 5.”
He clapped his hands together, leading them to the far side of the showroom.
They stood in front of it, Fatin holding her breath when Leah frowned. “No.”
“What?” Fatin asked.
“This isn’t you. I mean, this car is seriously ugly.”
“It’s electric.”
Leah narrowed her eyes at her. “Since when do you care about emissions?”
“Um, since now. Global warming is real.”
“Technically electric cars aren’t much better because making and disposing of the batteries actually is horrific for the environment.”
“Huh.”
“Fatin why the hell are you looking at this car?”
“Do you not like it?”
“It doesn’t matter if I-” Leah huffed. “Can we look at the next one please?” She said to the man who was watching the pair squabble with a suppressed grin.
It was the first pairing he had dealt with who weren’t in their twenties, so seeing mated teens acting like forty years olds debating a shopping list was rather hilarious.
“Sure. How about the Tesla?”
“That sounds more like it,” Leah said.
They actually got as far as sitting in the Tesla but the ceiling was low and the sounds on the console were slightly too loud when switched on. Leah didn’t dislike it, but she clearly didn’t love it and neither did Fatin. It looked kind of like something she expected to see a Karen driving.
“I’m not sold on this one,” Fatin said.
“Same.”
“Can we look at the BMW ix3 please?”
“Sure thing ladies. Right this way.”
Now that was a car, Fatin thought as she ran her hand along it with a smile. “Can you do a matt black paint job on this one?”
“Can do.”
“Awesome.” Fatin opened the door up for Leah, helping her mate into the car before getting into her own side. The roof was higher and the windows had a darker tint. It let out a weird sci-fi noise upon starting up that made Leah grin and comment that it was, “Like some weird ass spaceship.”
Leah fucking loved space.
It was comfortable, Fatin’s legs fit perfectly within it as did Leah too- even when stretched out.
“There’s plenty of room in the back for your cello.”
“Yeah, the trunk space in this is unreal. It will come in handy for moving shit to college later on.”
Another thing Fatin had considered. As a mated pair they were both granted the right to attend the same college as long as the other had similar grades or achievements. Fatin was already looking at a music scholarship and Leah was smart enough to get into anywhere she chose.
“This is a little different from what I thought you’d want. You’ve been talking about sports cars for years.”
“Sports cars aren’t really great for most uses.”
“Since when do you care about how effective a car is with transporting things?”
“This car is super cute. Can we please just take it out on a test drive?”
Leah eyes her curiously, knowing she was bullshitting, and nodded.
Once out on the road, Fatin decided that she liked it more than sports cars. It was open, she felt more in control and less scared of crappy drivers. Sports cars were so low to the ground that when behind an SUV Fatin always felt on the brink of death.
Most of all, however, Leah liked it. Loved it, even.
She relaxed more than Fatin had ever seen her do in either of their parent’s cars. Her eyes slipped shut as she enjoyed the silence of the engine, music playing low through the air.
“I’ll take it,” Fatin said as soon as they got back.
That night Leah came in from brushing her teeth, stretching as her shirt rode up and Fatin’s eyes tracked it.
“Thank you,” she said, leaning down to kiss Fatin so deeply that she momentarily lost track of her thoughts.
“What was that for?”
“You left your notes by your cello, I saw them when you were brushing your teeth.” Leah handed her the notes, spreadsheets and Word documents, articles of things to consider when buying a car that a person with sensory struggles would use. Not all points applied to Leah, but a handful did and allowed Fatin to think of some things she hadn’t considered prior.
“I’m sorry.”
“Why are you sorry?”
“Because I lied to you. I should have been upfront. It’s just that you make me happy. You being comfortable and happy makes me comfortable and happy. Plus, that car is epic as shit; it’s basically a tank.”
“It’s perfect. But only if you truly like it. I would be happy with you in anything.”
“I love it too.”
When Fatin collected the car the next week Rana smiled at it. “I see you picked with Leah in mind.”
“Obvi.”
“You’re a good mate. You know before your dad got that heinous sports car that he has now, he used to always buy things with me and then with the three of you in mind. It was always ‘How safe is this in a collision’ and ‘Does it come in cream?’ anything to make me happy. We had a Subaru at one point.”
“You had a lesbian car?”
Rana raised her brow. “They had great boot room and were reliable.”
Fatin snorted, taking her keys. “Can I drive home?”
“It’s your car dear.”