I am 15 chapters ahead on my patreón, check it out if you are interested.
https://www.patréon.com/emperordragon
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Chapter 21: Learning the Rules
Jon leaned back in the passenger seat of Gloria's car, watching as Alex carefully backed out of the driveway with the precision of a bomb technician defusing a live wire. Hands at ten and two, back straight, eyes scanning every possible angle like she was expecting a surprise pop quiz on road safety.
It was adorable.
Alex drove like she was narrating a driver's ed video in her head—checking mirrors every five seconds, easing onto the gas like it was made of glass, and following every traffic rule to the absolute letter.
Jon smirked as they reached a stop sign. "You know, you don't have to count to three Mississippi before going."
Alex shot him a glare. "It's three seconds, Jon. The law. You're going to be a driver soon, so maybe start respecting it."
Jon grinned. "I respect the law. I'm just saying, I've seen snails make faster stops."
She huffed but kept driving, her grip on the wheel a little tighter.
A few minutes later, they pulled up to a red light. Jon watched as Alex sat there completely still, not even inching forward a little like most drivers would.
"Do you ever go over the speed limit?" Jon teased.
"Speeding is reckless," Alex said primly. "You might be some super-athlete, but the rest of us have normal reflexes."
Jon chuckled. "I wasn't criticizing. It's kind of… cute."
Alex stiffened, her hands gripping the wheel harder. "It's responsible."
"Right. Adorably responsible," Jon corrected.
She made a strangled sound in her throat but didn't respond. Jon just sat back, amused.
Yeah, this trip was going to be fun.
They arrived at the DMV ten minutes later, and Jon immediately spotted the line snaking out the door.
"Ah, yes," Jon said. "The happiest place on Earth."
"Quit whining, it's not that bad," Alex said, already pulling out her phone to check in.
Jon smirked. "Says the person who's been here before. You probably planned your DMV trips like a military operation."
Alex didn't deny it. "I may have looked up the best times to come."
Jon grinned. "Here we are, standing in a line that defies the laws of space and time."
"Fine," Alex sighed. "It's bad. But at least you have me to guide you through it."
"And I am forever grateful," Jon said solemnly.
They finally got inside, where a tired-looking woman at the front desk handed Jon a form.
"Fill this out and take a number," she droned.
Jon looked down at the paper. "Name, age, address… and a vision test? Great, time to prove I can see."
Alex nudged him toward the seats. "Just fill it out."
Jon started writing, glancing up at Alex as she sipped from a water bottle. "So, how strict are they on the vision test? Asking for a friend."
Alex gave him a look. "You don't wear glasses, Jon."
"Yes, but what if I secretly needed them and never knew? What if this is the moment I find out I've been blind my whole life?"
Alex rolled her eyes. "Then I'd feel sorry for your football team."
They both laughed, and Jon quickly finished the form before heading up to the counter again.
The vision test was, as expected, ridiculously easy. Jon rattled off letters effortlessly, then turned to Alex with mock seriousness.
"Alex, I regret to inform you… my vision is perfect."
Alex snorted. "Wow. What a shock."
Next came the written test. Jon sat at the testing station while Alex waited off to the side. He glanced at her before starting.
"You gonna watch me the whole time?" he asked.
"Making sure you don't cheat," she said.
Jon grinned. "I have a great memory. I don't need to cheat."
Alex huffed. "Yeah, yeah, we all know you're secretly a genius."
Jon winked before focusing on the test. It took him less than ten minutes to finish.
When he walked back to Alex, holding up the confirmation slip, she raised an eyebrow. "That was fast."
Jon shrugged. "I knew most of it already. And the rest was common sense."
Alex groaned. "You're the worst."
"Thank you," Jon said, smiling.
The last step was taking his picture. Jon stepped in front of the camera, smirking slightly.
"Smile," the DMV employee said.
Jon's smirk widened.
The camera flashed.
Alex peeked at the screen. "Ugh. Even your DMV photo is good. That's not fair."
Jon glanced at it and grinned. "Yeah, I'd hire me to drive."
Alex rolled her eyes but smiled.
When the woman handed Jon his temporary learner's permit, he held it up like a trophy. "And with this, I have officially entered the world of driving."
Alex clapped her hands mockingly. "Congratulations, future menace to society."
Jon laughed. "Alright, let's get out of here. Ice cream's on me."
Alex blinked. "Wait, what?"
Jon shrugged. "You drove me here, helped me through the whole process, made this actually fun—I owe you. Let's go celebrate."
Alex hesitated. "Well… I do like ice cream."
Jon smirked. "Then let's go before you change your mind."
They ended up at a small, family-owned ice cream shop a few blocks away. The place smelled like sugar and nostalgia, and Jon immediately knew he made the right call bringing Alex here.
She stood in front of the counter, eyes scanning the options with the focus of a scientist analyzing data.
Jon leaned in. "You gonna run an algorithm to determine the best flavor?"
Alex glared at him. "This is serious."
Jon chuckled, then ordered a double scoop of chocolate and caramel. Alex finally settled on mint chocolate chip, then followed Jon to a table by the window.
As they ate, Jon stretched back in his chair. "You know, I expected this whole DMV thing to be a nightmare, but it was actually fun."
Alex smirked. "That's just because I was there to keep you entertained."
Jon nodded. "True. But also because you take driving rules way too seriously. I think I have a new favorite Alex moment."
She narrowed her eyes. "I do not take them too seriously. I just… value order."
Jon laughed. "Alex, you stop exactly at stop signs. Like, you count in your head."
Alex crossed her arms. "That's what you're supposed to do!"
Jon grinned. "Yeah, but it's still adorable."
Alex turned red and shoved a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth, looking anywhere but at him.
Jon just smiled, enjoying the moment.
Today seems like a good day.