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The last bell rang, and Hometown High spilled open with its usual wave of noisy freedom, the crisp afternoon air buzzing with chatter.
Susie groaned, leaning back against the lockers with her arms crossed. “Finally. I swear, if I had to listen to Berdly’s ‘fun facts’ about math one more time, I was gonna throw myself out the window.”
Kris gave a faint hum of agreement, shoving their hands into their hoodie pocket. They stood near Jett’s now-empty locker, shoulders brushing lightly with Susie’s as the tall lizard exhaled her irritation.
Noelle scrolled on her phone, ears flicking. “Oh! Did you guys see the new Dragon Blazer 4DX listing? It’s only showing in Greenridge City starting today.”
“Greenridge?” Susie squinted. “That’s, like, three towns over.”
“Yup. Bus isn’t gonna cut it,” Noelle said, lips quirking as she glanced between them. “And I already know you’re not letting Berdly drive us.”
“No way,” Susie said immediately. “I’m not sitting through two hours of him yelling ‘lore check!’ every time we hit a stoplight.”
Kris shrugged, deadpan. “…I’d rather walk.”
Noelle sighed dramatically, then her eyes lit up as she spotted Jett emerging from the science wing with Alphys, laughing softly about something. “Or…”
She slipped her phone into her skirt pocket and called out, “Jett! Hey!”
Jett perked up immediately, curls bouncing as she waved. “Hi! You guys ready to head out?”
Susie blinked. “Wait, head out?”
Jett nodded, bright and casual. “Dragon Blazer 4DX. I’ve been waiting all week. I grabbed tickets an hour before they released.”
Noelle beamed. “Oh my gosh, so you’ll drive us?”
Kris froze, their brain stuttering. “…You can drive?”
Jett tilted her head like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Uh… yeah? I have a car.” She turned to head toward the lot.
“You’ve been hiding this from me?” Susie demanded, tail swishing.
“It’s not hiding!” Jett protested, cheeks pinking. “Noelle’s been in the car. She knows!” She called back before jogging off to retrieve it.
“Uh-huh,” Susie muttered, glaring playfully at her girlfriend. “So you’ve just been letting me walk like a chump while you two were cruising around?
Noelle shrugged innocently. “It’s… a very unique experience.”
“…What the hell does that mean?” Kris asked slowly.
Before anyone could answer, the low purr of an engine rolled into the parking lot. Jett’s car swung into view, sleek, dark, with a glossy finish that caught the sun like liquid.
The car was immaculate inside, smelling faintly of vanilla and something warm, like sun-warmed fabric. The seats were buttery soft, molding to them as they settled in. Jett leaned over the center console with a bright, innocent smile.
“Seatbelts!”
Susie yanked hers across her chest immediately, muttering, “I don’t like that you said it like a warning.”
Kris slid into the backseat beside her, their knee bouncing slightly. “…I’m already regretting this.”
Noelle clicked her seatbelt in calmly, totally at ease. “Relax. She’s a really good driver.”
“See?” Jett said cheerfully. “Noelle believes in me.”
The car purred out of the school lot, perfectly smooth. Kris and Susie exchanged a look. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.
Then Jett tapped her phone to the stereo, and the music hit.
Heavy bass. Moans. A filthy club track that belonged on a 2 AM playlist titled Certified Bad Decisions.
Susie’s jaw dropped. “…What the hell is this?”
“My focus playlist!” Jett said brightly, checking her mirrors and signaling for the highway. “This is what I listen to when I take my tests.”
Kris blinked, deadpan. “This is… porn music.”
“It’s instrumental,” Jett said, completely serious, as the bass rattled the cup holders. “It helps me concentrate on the road.”
Susie cackled, half-nervous. “Dude, this is the funniest thing I’ve ever -HOLY SHIT-”
Jett took the on-ramp at speed, merging flawlessly between two trucks without hesitation. The car purred in perfect control, her hands steady on the wheel, curls bouncing with every subtle turn.
They were flying down the highway in minutes, but Jett’s hyper-focus made it look effortless. She threaded the car between lanes like she’d planned the gaps herself. Every green light bent to her timing. Every mirror check was fast, precise, and instinctive.
Kris had a white-knuckle grip on the seat belt. Susie alternated between swearing and laughing.
Noelle scrolled through her phone like this was a casual Sunday drive.
“Jett-Jett-you just threaded the needle between a semi and a minivan!” Susie barked.
“I know,” Jett said, voice smooth and calm.
“…Are you even stressed right now?” Kris asked.
“Not at all!” Jett said brightly, bass thumping. “See? Focus playlist. It works.”
“Relax,” Noelle said serenely. “She’s like this the whole time. She’s never even gotten a speeding ticket.”
“That’s somehow worse!” Kris hissed.
The four of them walked toward the theater entrance, the wind tugging at their jackets.
Susie was still practically vibrating with adrenaline. “Dude, that was the best ride of my life. We have to do that again.”
Jett laughed, spinning her car keys around her finger with an effortless flourish. “Told you I’d get us here safe. Hyper-focus mode never fails.”
Kris followed a step behind, trying to will the heat out of their face. Their heart was still pounding, not from fear exactly, but from everything. The filthy bass. Jett’s cocky grin in the rearview. The way she handled the wheel like she owned the road…
“Yo, Kris,” Susie said suddenly, leaning back toward them with a toothy grin. “You’re quiet. You okay back there, or did Jett break your brain?”
Kris’s mouth opened. Closed. “…I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine,” Susie said immediately, cackling. “You’re all pink. I know that face.”
Noelle, bless her, tried to be gentle but failed spectacularly. “I mean… you were staring at her the whole time. Like, more than the road.”
Kris’s ears went scarlet. “I-I wasn’t-!”
Jett tilted her head, curls bouncing. “Hmm? Staring at me?”
Susie snorted. “Yeah, you didn’t see it ‘cause you were busy doing your ‘cool guy Tokyo Drift’ thing, but Kris was locked in.”
Kris buried their face in their hoodie. “Please stop talking.”
Noelle giggled, leaning into Susie. “It’s kinda cute, though. Like… they really like your… uh… confident side.”
Jett blinked—then grinned slow, that same cocky little tilt of her lips that made Kris want to sink through the sidewalk.
“Ohhh,” she said, voice smooth. “I get it. You like it when I’m in control.”
Kris made a choked sound.
“Ha! Busted,” Susie howled, nearly doubling over. “Oh my god, this is the best day ever.”
Jett just hummed in satisfaction as they stepped into the theater, already tugging Kris gently toward the ticket counter.
“Don’t worry,” she murmured under her breath, low enough for only Kris to hear. “I’ll drive you home the same way.”
Kris was never living this down.