My Life as Leia

Chapter 16 - Not Your Average Friends

A/N: Hi there! Back so soon? Great, 'cause I have another chapter for ya! I also have some pretty cool news (cool for me, anyway), but it can wait until the bottom of this chapter. Enjoy!

The Princess had never driven a speeder before. To be more accurate, she had never driven anything before. As much as she wanted to count it as another "experience". . .Leia didn't know how she felt about this particular circumstance.

Leia was having a great time and a horrible time all at once. For one, the steering wheel was difficult to turn, and dust was flying into her eyes and mouth; such things made it hard to drive safely.

Luke was shouting directions and pessimistic opinions into her eardrums, the brake pedal was barely working, and she had pretty much been terrified since the moment her foot hit the first pedal. So that was freaking her out.

But there was also some sort of thrill. The wind whipped through Leia's messy curls and filled her with a newfound recklessness and courage. That free feeling was back again, and she never wanted it to end.

Even though she'd never driven a speeder before, Leia had yet to crash the vehicle. Therefore, the ride was going great!

Luke's mind was another story entirely. All he saw was Leia driving the speeder like it was a toy spaceship. His knuckles had turned white from gripping his seat (or anything else he could hang on to), and his blonde hair was constantly obscuring his view of any obstacles they might come across.

Luke wasn't even sure if Leia had a directive. Where was she planning to go? It was obvious that she didn't know her way around. When Luke got the chance, he glanced at Leia. A look of rising terror was in her eyes, but she was. . .smiling?

She's either insane, or she's having way too much fun with this.

"Leia!" Luke shouted over the whir of the engine.

"What?" Leia responded, not taking her eyes off the land ahead of them.

"Where are we going?"

"Mos Eisely!"

"Why?"

"Why not?"

Luke didn't have an answer for that, so he gave up on trying to ask any more questions. Leia seemed like she had it under control. Of course, he'd thought that before. And that had led to them climbing up a wall.

It didn't take long for the teens to reach Mos Eisely. When the speeder came to a complete halt (just outside the town), Leia visibly relaxed. Her hands unclenched the wheel, and she leaned back in her seat. A loud, drawn out sigh came out of her mouth.

Luke spoke first.

"Well. That was. . .just. . .what was that?" he asked, just as (if not more) stunned than Leia.

The Princess didn't move. Her body looked completely limp in the driver's seat. Only her eyes moved to look at Luke.

"That. . .was. . .something else," she responded dreamily.

"It sure was! Leia, you stole a speeder!"

"I did, didn't I?"

"And you drove it! All the way to Mos Eisley!"

"Oh, yeah! I did!"

Luke laughed and shook the dust out of his hair.

"Leia, you're the coolest person I know."

"You think so?"

"Yep. But. . .for the record, next time, I'll drive."

"Sounds good," Leia laughed.