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oniricdiary · 1 month ago

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Who painted the sky?

Chapter 25: Teenage Dream

Reiner is probably the worst driver she’s ever met.

Around noon, when the bunch of them finally packed up and were ready to leave, he was the first one to call for the wheel– Hannah has very graciously given them her van keys and wished them fun, though she doubted Marie knew anything about their shenanigans. The kids were barely out the driveway when they set off.

Annie groans in the backseat as Reiner overrides another driver, sinking into her seat. She crosses her arms over her chest, trying her best not to wake Pieck up in the process, as she’s sleeping on her shoulder. Sasha, Connie and Jean have dived into an elaborate game of cards behind her, with Armin trying to explain why they’re doing it all wrong and them persisting in their mistakes. In the passenger’s seat, Hitch changes the radio again.

Reiner speeds up again, completely oblivious to the bumps in the road. Had she not had her belt on, she’s pretty sure she would have hit her head on the roof.

“Are you trying to get us killed?” Annie snaps.

He eyes her through the rear view and scowls at her. “What’s your problem?”

“Your driving is my problem.”

The chatter behind her simmers down.

Hitch turns around with a raised eyebrow.

“There’s nothing wrong with my driving,” he says, as he runs a red light.

Annie rolls her eyes. “If my father's not busy, he can drive better than you, and he’s missing a damn leg!”

She regrets saying that as soon as it leaves her mouth. The car silences down. Pieck stirs awake, groaning unhappily. Armin reaches for her hand, his lips pressed together, probably in an attempt to comfort her, but she draws away. Hitch throws her a wide-eyed look over the seat.

To his grace, Reiner does slow down. But then he pulls the car over and stops the engine.

Reiner turns around red-faced, a frown between his brows. Annie stares him down, scowling.

“How about you take the wheel if you’re that unhappy with my driving?”

“Gladly,” she bites back.

She curses herself as soon as she sits behind the wheel. What the hell was she thinking? She hasn’t driven in months, and hasn’t touched a van before in her life.

She fixes the seat, bringing it closer to the wheel, and checks the mirrors. Reiner slides into the backseat, pushing Armin to the middle. The latter offers a smile through the rearview mirror, though it does little to help her.

“Do you even have a license?” asks Hitch, arching an eyebrow.

“Of course I have a fucking license,” she groans.

Very slowly, she starts the car, wheeling it out of the improvised parking spot Reiner found on the side of the highway. And then they’re on the road again. She takes a breath in, slowly letting it out through her mouth as she speeds up the tiniest bit and enrolls on her lane. She grips the wheel tighter, so much so that her fingers turn white, keeping her gaze ahead.

And for a minute she thinks she’s doing great. They’re moving, they’re in their lane, no one's honking their ears off. Her heart is doing backflips in her chest, but she manages to keep her thoughts at bay.

But then she hears Reiner's irritating voice.

“You call that driving?”

She has to try really hard not to roll her eyes and keep her gaze on the road.

“It is much safer than whatever you had going on,” Pieck chimes in.

Her lips pull up– she’s still got it. “Thank you.”

“We might even get there by the end of August,” Reiner mumbles.

Hitch turns around in her seat. “Oh, cut her some slack, will you?” She stares Reiner down for a moment, who raises his hands above his head in defeat. She turns back to Annie and offers a slight smile. “You're doing great.”

Annie murmurs her thanks, her heart calming down a little. She dares speed up the tiniest bit, just enough to stay within the speed limit. Hitch brings her phone closer to her face, scowling at it.

“We're supposed to leave the highway via the first exit on the right.”

Annie hums, keeping her eyes out for the exit. She finds she quite enjoys being behind the wheel, being in control of it all. To their grace, her colleagues do calm down, allowing her mind to clear. And while they definitely could have gotten there quicker, the sun is still high in the sky when she pulls the car into the parking lot of their Airbnb.

They’re quick to leave the car and grab their bags. The others head for the building, all chitter and chatter, leaving her to deal with the car.

And yet, as soon as her feet meet the ground, Annie finds herself throwing up. She barely has time to bend down so as to not get her shirt dirty.

She doesn’t even realise Armin has fallen behind until his hand meets her shoulder blade. He looks down at her with worried eyes, his hand drawing comforting patterns on her back. Annie grabs his shirt, attempting to push him away, when a second wave hits her.

But he doesn’t relent. His other hand comes up to her arm for support, and she thinks she might have collapsed had it not been for his hold.

She rests her hands on her knees, taking deep breaths in to calm herself down.

“You’re okay,” Armin says, but his voice is distant. Only now does she register the ringing in her ears.

He brushes the hair out of her face. When she meets his gaze, there’s a gentle smile on his lips, yet his eyes are furrowed with worry.

She straightens her back a bit, running her fingers through her bangs– when have they gotten so damp? She attempts a smile, though she can see it on his face that it’s not reassuring in the slightest, nor convincing.

“I’m fine,” she says, and her voice comes out rather hoarse. She clears her throat. “I just– I haven’t driven since…” but she trails away. Armin hums, and she knows he must have gotten it. “I haven’t driven in a long time,” she concludes. “So it was nerve wracking. But we got here in one piece, so… yay me?”

Armin scoffs, his expression softening. He wraps his arm around her shoulder and brings her closer, placing a kiss on the crown of her head. “You did great, Annie.”

Her heart melts in her chest, and the tension leaves her body then. She would have liked to bask in his warmth a moment longer, but she bets she stinks, and she desperately needs a shower.

She locks the car and pockets the key. Armin takes her backpack before she even gets the chance to fully put it on, arguing that it’s now his duty as a boyfriend to do stuff like this. She lets it go with an eye roll, not really finding the energy to argue anyway. Instead, she intertwines her fingers with his as they climb up the stairs to their rental.

The place is rather nice– a small, one-story building painted a dirty white, with ivy having taken up most of the front wall, and a wooden door at the entrance. It has a mini flower garden at the front, surrounded by a low fence, with flowers of all colors basking in the sun. There’s an apple tree to the side, standing tall and providing shadow.

It opens into an open space, the kitchen in tones of yellow opening into the living room, divided only by a counter, which is surrounded by tall stools– which have already been taken up by her colleagues. There’s a TV enhanced in a bookcase, also wooden, throning in the middle of the room, and a corner couch opposite from it. Colorful pillows adorn it, contrasting its dark brown cushions. There are two wooden doors on either side of the living room, probably leading to the bedrooms– Hitch said there were only two, but they could make do with it. They’re only staying one night anyway.

Getting themselves settled doesn’t take long. When she gets out of the shower, she finds the others huddled together on the couch, crouched over Hitch's phone. She drops down next to them, butting her head in just enough to take a glance at the map. Her brows furrow.

“What are we looking at?”

“We're trying to figure out how to get to the funfair,” says Pieck, who's holding the flyer.

Annie hums. She squints at the piece of paper to make out the address it indicates. Before long, Hitch declares she's found it, and jumps to her feet at once.

Annie makes sure to pocket her camera on their way out, and out they go.

Turns out, whatever Hitch has found was futile, for they end up wandering the streets aimlessly for what feels like forever.

The sun is starting to set above them when they find the funfair, casting down hues of orange and soft yellow.

But the everlasting murmur of the festival makes it worth the bit. The funfair is a lot bigger than what Annie’s initially pictured of it– the image she had in her mind was that of a small fest held by some kid scouts, with a lemonade stand and maybe a few ponies, as the kid has said. But it’s so much more impressive. There’s colorful carussels all around, and food stands of many types lining the streets, as well as workshops. Fairy lights have been lined all around and, even though they’re not on yet, they make it even more ephemeral. And in the middle of it all, a Ferris wheel stands tall.

The streets are flooded with people of all ages, chatting away unbothered. The smell of food makes her stomach grumble, and only now does she realise that she hasn’t eaten anything since morning– her stomach felt uneasy after having driven the van, so she turned down Armin’s generous offer of cheese sticks. She would love some right about now, though.

She doesn’t even realise the others have stopped until she bumps into Reiner’s back. He turns back to her with a scowl, and she frowns right back– why would he stop in the middle of the street anyway?

“What should we do first?” comes Hitch’s voice.

Everyone has gathered around her as if waiting for directions. Her light pink dress ruffles in the light breeze, and if she didn’t know any better, Annie would say she looks like a fairy godmother who’s about to give them the quest of a lifetime.

Pieck takes the flyer out of her skirt’s pocket and studies it thoroughly. She raises an eyebrow at the thing.

“Well, there are plenty of activities,” she says, flipping the thing over. “Oh, there’s a concert at ten, if you guys are into that.”

Jean leans over, peeking over her shoulder. “Who’s playing?”

“Uh, I’ve never heard of them… No Name?”

Annie’s stomach grumbles again. It must have been louder this time, for Armin turns to her with a frown on his face. He studies her thoroughly, his expression softening, and Annie feels her face heat up under the intensity of his gaze.

He turns back to the others. “Maybe we should get something to eat first,” he suggests.

Nobody protests. Sasha even jumps up and down a little, gushing over how excited she is about all the festival food.

Armin throws her a quick smile, the skin around his eyes wrinkling up the tiniest bit. Annie shakes her head briefly, though she can’t help the smile spreading on her lips. As the group starts looking for a food stand that would satisfy all of their needs, she reaches for his hand and squeezes it lightly. His smile only widens when her fingers intertwine with his, and even more so when she raises on her tippy toes and pecks his cheek, short and sweet. Even in the dimming light of the sunset, his blush is still visible, and for a second she takes pride in the fact that she’s flustering him just as much as he does her. For a second she thinks they might be even.

But then he lifts her hand, his fingers gripping hers ever so tighter, and her eyes widen slightly when he brings it to his lips. He kisses her knuckles, his lips brushing over her skin in a feather light manner that sends shivers down her back. Annie’s entire being warms up, her heart melting in her chest.

When he looks up at her, there’s a devilish grin on his face that lets her know he knows exactly what he’s doing, that he’s extremely accustomed to her reactions by now. Flustering her this way, there’s nothing accidental in it. It’s all done purposefully.

But he doesn’t allow her to bask in it.

“Let’s try to stay with the others,” he says, and only now does she realise that they’ve fallen behind. Again.

When they catch up to the other volunteers, they’ve already decided on corndogs as their token festival food, which Annie can’t complain about. She’s had them only a few times, but she reckons she didn’t hate them.

Turns out, the festival corndogs are exponentially better than whatever she’s had before. Excessively oily, sure, but delicious nonetheless. It makes her famished stomach feel so warm that she even ends up having a second one, though she’s still not quite full when she’s done. But the others are getting bored, way too hyped to see the festival to wait around any longer, so Annie finds herself pulled away from her treasured corndog stand. She does get herself a glazed apple on their way to the first attraction– the Ferris wheel– and she manages to finish it while they wait in line. The queue is unbearably long, to the point where her legs start hurting from standing.

The wheel goes round twice before they even get to the ticket post, but it’s plenty of time for them to decide on the sitting arrangement, which they have quite an issue settling on. Hitch insists that they should do couples, as she wants to kiss Reiner at the top of the Ferris Wheel– she’s read it's a good omen for couples. Annie doesn’t miss the way Armin steals a glance at her then, the corner of his lips arched up slightly. It makes her entire being warm up, but she says nothing, letting the others bicker away. The mere knowledge that she’s on his mind as much as he is on hers is caress enough.

They do eventually agree on booking two cars, one for the girls and the other for the boys– which Connie cheers for, excitedly dragging Reiner and Jean after him as the first car empties.

Turns out, the Ferris Wheel is rather fun, especially with friends by your side. Annie lets herself relax as they slowly ascend upwards. Hitch is beaming next to her, excitedly looking out the window, a big smile plastered on her face. Across from her, Sasha and Pieck only match her excitement.

Annie crosses her arms over her chest, daring to look out the window herself. Her breath catches in her throat. It all looks so small from up there, an indefinite blob of colors, like a smudged painting in the rain. The festival lights are nothing but little blobs of lights, the people only dots in a sea of shapes.

She reaches for her camera, snapping a picture of it all.

“Hey, take one of us, too!” Hitch beams.

Her lips arch up, but she complies, fitting their smiling faces into the frame and snapping the photograph.

The wheel stops at the very top, allowing them to fully take it all in. Their boys put their heads through the window of their own car, waving widely, big smiles plastered on all of their faces. Annie snaps another picture of all of them just before the wheel starts descending again.

Then there’s a screech. The sound of metal on metal. The lights flicker off for a moment and then back on. And the thing stops working altogether.

A kid starts crying. Someone yells, “I'm suing you!”, and the sound of general panic settles in.

Annie’s heart skips a beat, her eyes widening. Hitch latches onto her arm, holding on for dear life. Pieck shrieks, grabbing onto the window sill. Sasha jumps to her feet and leans over the window towards the boys’ car.

“Are you lot alright?”

A beat of silence. Then, “We're okay!” comes Armin's voice. “Are you?”

“Yep, we're good!” Sasha steals a glance at the girls, a grin forming on her lips. “Hitch looks like she’s gonna piss herself, but otherwise we're okay!”

Hitch scowls at her. “Hey, this counts as defamation!”

Sasha howls out a laugh, and for a second Annie thinks she’s gonna fall over the edge.

But then another wave of panic erupts, this time from the other car.

“Reiner, do not light that cigarette!” Armin says, a tint of alarm in his voice

Annie’s eyes widen. She exchanges a look with the others. Pieck raises an eyebrow, tilting her head to the side slightly. Sasha raises on her tippy toes to try and see into their car, and Hitch runs her hand down her face with a groan.

“I swear to God, man, if you light that shit up–” comes Jean’s loud protest.

There’s the flicker of a lighter, and a flash of light coming from their car.

Connie laments loudly, “Oh, we’re gonna die!”

There’s a beat a silence, but then the lighter is thrown out the window, followed closely by the almost untouched cigarette. It sizzles through the air until it’s put out, and then they vanish out of eyesight. A moment later, Reiner’s head pokes through the window, a frown between his brows.

“The fuck was that for?!” he snaps, but his voice cracks towards the end. Had she not known him, she would have said he was about to break down crying.

“You were endangering all of us!” comes Armin’s reply, his voice leveled.

“That was unnecessary!”

The wheel screeches again, and before she knows it they’re moving again, descending towards the ground. Cheers erupt from around the Wheel. Sasha reclaims her seat, though she keeps an ear out for whatever’s going down in the boys’ car– though she doubts she can make out anything.

When they get back on the ground, Reiner is the first to split from the group, mumbling something about finding his lighter. Hitch hurries after him, linking her arm with his and whispering something in his ear. Sasha and Connie soon vanish themselves too, saying something about needing the loo.

Pieck takes the flyer out of her skirt’s pocket and squints at it, bringing it closer to her eyes. Jean looks over her shoulder with a similar expression, reading over the words with narrowed eyes.

Annie buries her hands in her pockets, and finds herself looking for Armin, and she eventually finds him behind all the others. His face looks a little green, his lips crooked downwards. He looks unfocused, but then he catches her eyes and seems to freeze a little before he plasters a smile, however small, on his lips. She frowns, studying his face thoroughly.

“It looks like the concert is about to start,” Pieck eventually says, folding the flyer back up.

“Let’s find the stage,” Jean urges, already turning around.

“I think I’ll sit this one out, guys,” says Armin, running his hand down his face.

Annie’s frown only deepens. Something’s definitely wrong with him. “Me too. I think I’ll just get something to eat.”

Pieck crooks an eyebrow at them. “Suit yourselves,” and then she gets lost in the sea of people.

Annie turns towards Armin and grabs his arm. “Are you alright?”

He forces a smile, and rubs the back of his neck. “Yeah, yeah, it’s nothing.”

Annie’s frown only deepens. Does he think she’s oblivious? “Don’t lie to me, you’re green all over.”

He holds her eye for a second. Then he sighs, and his smile falters. “It’s just that I get nauseous from heights,” he admits. Annie’s face softens. “And this was quite a ride. But I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me,” he hurries to add.

Annie shakes her head a little. “I can’t not worry about you, silly. Believe it or not, I do care about you.” His eyes widen the slightest bit, and color creeps into his face. She pecks his cheek, then lets his arm go only to take his hand in hers. “Let’s find somewhere to sit.”

They do find a bench in a quieter alley to the side. She makes sure he’s okay, then leaves to get him some water.

When she makes it back, Armin greets her with a strained smile, though he’s starting to get color back into his face. He takes a sip of water and leans forward, leaning his elbows on his knees and dropping his head. Annie rubs his back in circular motions, and he seems to relax into her touch.

“I’m fine, really,” he says, though he doesn’t sound very convincing.

Annie shakes her head. “Why did you agree to riding the wheel if it makes you nauseous anyway?”

Armin scoffs a little– if at her or himself, she’s not sure. He raises his head just enough to meet her eyes. “Everyone was so excited about it,” he says. “I didn’t want to be a wet blanket and ruin their fun.”

“I could have stayed down with you while they rode the Wheel, you know,” she says, softer this time. “You could have said something.”

Annie feels her lips pull up, for this is just like him– always looking out for everyone else, barely giving himself any attention.

“Thank you,” is all he says.

He straightens his back, sitting upright, and smiles at her. “But I think I’ll survive. I did have fun, you know.”

Annie smiles, letting her hand wonder until it finds his. She interlocks her fingers with his, dragging her thumb over the back of his hand. Armin drops his head on her shoulder and lets his eyes close, squeezing her fingers gently. She lets her chin rest on top of his head, and brings his other hand up, brushing her fingers through his hair in lazy motions.

She’s not sure how much time passes of them just sitting there, letting the buzz of the festival wash over them. Until her phone buzzes in her pocket.

She fishes it out, only to find Pieck has shared her location– Jean and her found that concert after all. Armin straightens up then, and she immediately misses the weight of his head on her shoulder. But he looks better, he’s got his color back in his face.

“We can go if you want.”

“Are you feeling better?”

He hums, grazing her knuckles with his thumb. “I do.” He pecks her cheek. “Thank you.”

They stand to leave, but before she even opens Pieck’s link, a little something catches her eyes. She grabs Armin’s hand, dragging him after herself until they're standing in front of the Tin Can Shack. Colorful prizes of all kinds are displayed for everyone to see. Armin raises an eyebrow at her, an amused smile growing in his lips. Her eyes narrow.

“I wanna try this,” she says, squeezing his hand.

He hums lightly, dragging his thumb across her knuckles.

The line thins rather fast, and in no time there’s only one pair left before them– a guy desperately trying to make his last two shots worthwhile, and a girl in a polka dress, looking like she’s trying her absolute best not to laugh her ass off. Eventually, his last shot proves futile, for it flies right over the pyramid of tins. He throws his arms in the air, letting a disappointed groan out as the vendor offers empty apologies. But his girlfriend takes his hand all the same, placing a kiss on his cheek before dragging him away.

Annie finds herself smiling at the scene, her eyes following the two as they get lost amidst the crowd. They look adorable, walking away hand in hand, him trying to defend himself for not winning her a plushie and her just laughing it off.

But the vendor’s clearing his throat takes her out of her haze. Annie snaps her head towards him, finding the middle aged man grinning widely at her, wrinkles forming around his grey eyes.

She clears her throat. “How much for a round?”

He tells them the price, which is ten dollars– too much for only three shots, in her opinion, but she doesn’t word it out loud.

Armin drops her hand, fishing his wallet out.

The man’s grin boardens. “Trying to impress your girlfriend, huh?” His tone isn’t malicious, but it lacks the feigning casualty of small talk too.

Armin laughs awkwardly, fumbling with his wallet for a second. But before he gets the chance to say anything, Annie clears her throat. She brings her hand to his arm, stopping him.

“It’s quite the opposite, actually,” she says, handing the vendor a crumbled up bill she finds in her pocket.

The man looks at her a little puzzled. Armin’s gaze is warm when he meets her eyes, his lips pulling up the tiniest bit. He searches her eyes for a moment, as if slowly understanding what she’s on about, then drops his wallet back in his pocket. The vendor raises an eyebrow, moving his gaze from one to the other, before eventually taking her money and handing her three bags. He steps to the side, letting her get a better look at the pyramid of tins.

Armin squeezes her arm, his smile wide when she turns to face him.

“You can do this, Annie!”

Her face warms. But before she gets to say anything, he pecks her cheek, a short, sweet kiss. Warmth takes over her entire being then, and her heart almost melts in her chest. She closes her eyes for only a moment, trying to collect herself, then opens them again, focusing on the target in front of her. Armin takes a step back, giving her space to perform her shenanigans.

She stretches her arm, eyeing the prize she wants– sitting gingerly at the top of the pile, its orange peak angled towards her. Then she averts her gaze back to the pyramid of tins, takes a breath in, and throws the first bag.

Turns out, she doesn’t even need all the bags– the pyramid comes tumbling down after just two throws. Cheers erupt from around her, and when she looks around, she finds that a handful of people have gathered around, watching her endeavors. Armin is next to her in an instant, showering her in congratulations, engulfing her in his arms and peppering her face in kisses, making her skin warm. The vendor stares at her in awe for a minute.

He shakes his head, finding a smile again. “What shall be your prize, then?”

She points to the plushie at the top, the sole reason she’s here in the first place. “That one.”

Armin’s eyes widen slightly when the vendor takes it down, then laughs shortly. “This is what you wanted?”

A smile pulls on her lips as she retrieves the duck plushie. She thanks the man and bids her goodbye, then takes hold of Armin’s hand again.

“I didn’t win it for myself,” she says as they walk away from the vendor. She holds it out for him, and his eyes go wide, his mouth dropping a little as if he wanted to say something. But no words come out. He stops walking, staring at her with big eyes. Annie scoffs, pushing it into his arms. “I won it for you, silly.”

He blinks at her, once, twice, then looks down at the toy, taking it in. “But why?” he asks.

A smile pulls on her lips. “It reminded me of you.”

Armin stares at the duck plushie a minute more, his face slowly softening, a smile blossoming onto his lips. When he looks up at her again, his eyes are a little glassy, but his smile is ever growing.

“Thank you,” he says, and his voice is low.

Annie steps closer to him, the tip of her shoes touching his. She wraps her arms around his neck, dumping her nose against his. “You’re welcome.”

She raises on her tippy toes, placing a kiss to his mouth, short and sweet.

When she draws away, his face is flushed, lips parted slightly as if he were waiting for more. She brushes the hair out of his forehead, then pecks his lips again. His hand finds her side, bringing her closer to him. But the plushie in his arm makes it a bit difficult, and they part ways laughing awkwardly.

“I wanted you to have something to remember me by when the summer is over,” she says, looking down at the plushie.

A wave of sadness washes over her, if only briefly. The end of the summer, once such a distant concept, is now dragging closer and closer, and she fears she’s not ready for it.

By the look on his face, neither is Armin, for his brows furrow. He averts his eyes for a second, biting his lip, and Annie finds herself following his gaze. He meets her eye again, but this time there is something else in his gaze, a sort of bitterness she cannot explain. Annie frowns, not understanding where this is coming from. She tilts her head, willing him to speak, to just tell her what’s bothering him.

“About that,” he starts, but he doesn’t get the chance to finish his train of thought.

Sasha emerges from the crowd, all jumpy and smiley. “Gotcha!” she yells, almost jumping on their backs. Connie is trailing behind her, equally beaming.

Annie’s arms fall from around his shoulders, and Armin takes a step backwards, rubbing the back of his neck. He offers her a sort of apologetic look, though she doesn’t necessarily get why.

Before she knows it, Sasha jumps on her back, making her jump a little.

“We looked everywhere for y’all!” she exclaims, tightening her arms around Annie’s shoulders. Annie lets out an awkward laugh, though she doesn’t exactly mind. “Everyone was gone when we made it back to the Wheel!”

“Yeah, we parted ways,” Annie says, patting Sasha’s arm. The girl gets off her at last. “I’m pretty sure they went to that concert,” she offers with a shrug.

Sasha hums, taking her phone out to check the group chat for the location. But Connie is not with them, staring at the plushie in Armin’s arms. A grin forms on his face.

“What, you won your girlfriend a plushie?” he teases. “Didn’t think you had it in you, Arlert.”

Armin blushes, stuttering over his words, and Annie scoffs, rolling her eyes a little.

“Actually, she won it for me,” he mutters, staring at his shoes.

Annie buries her hands in her pockets, a proud smile finding its way to her lips.

Connie raises an eyebrow. Sasha looks up from her phone with a shit eating grin on her lips. “So you guys are into switching roles?”

Connie howls out a laugh. Armin’s eyes widen slightly, his complexion turning a deep shade of red. He looks at Annie as if asking for help.

Annie rolls her eyes, though her own face is starting to catch on fire.

“Oh, fuck off.”

#aruani #wpts

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