Disclaimer: Nope, unfortunately, I still don't have a claim on Twilight or its characters … not even Edward Cullen.

A/N: Hi there! Welcome to the new form of adventure I had promised in my last fic. Each chapter will contain a new flash fic based on prompts I stumble across on the internet. This is my attempt to challenge myself and to get back to my writing and to my readers.

I promise I am not abandoning my WIPs. I just need to take baby steps to find my way back to ficville. I hope you'll join me on this journey.

Chapter-1: Battery Operated

Prompt: Battery Operated

"Stop! Stop! STOOOPPP!" I yell, even though I know for certain that the bus driver isn't able to hear me over the closed doors and the noisy heater running inside the bus. I thank my lucky stars that my crazy hand gestures seem to have attracted his attention as he brings the bus to a stop and opens the doors with a whoosh.

"You gotta be on time, miss," he chastises me as I scramble onto the bus, clutching my coffee mug like it's my lifeline.

"Understood, Sir," I agree readily, not wanting to start my day by getting off on a wrong foot with him.

He huffs but doesn't respond and instead presses the button to close the doors behind me.

I scan the bus to see who my fellow passengers are before hastily taking a seat just as the bus lurches back into motion. I bring my travel mug to my face and inhale the aroma of perfectly roasted coffee. Letting out a satisfied moan of appreciation, I take my first sip of the liquid gold that fuels my day.

As I wait for the coffee to wake me up properly, I hear a sound coming from the back that sounds a lot like a snigger. I turn to see that there's just one other passenger aboard the bus whose face is hidden behind a copy of Harry Potter And The Order of The Phoenix. I narrow my eyes toward the slightly copperish head of hair I can see sticking out from behind the book and then look at the driver. Either one of them must have sniggered. The question is why?

I think for a moment and decide, it can't be the stern-looking driver. So it has to be the potterhead. Well, J. K. Rowling wrote a sassy Harry in that book, so it could be just that making him snigger, I decide and shrug it off.

"Where are you headed?" the driver's voice booms over the rickety heater. I look to make sure he's speaking to me and as our eyes meet in the rearview mirror, I smile sweetly. "Just a little bit further to uptown, please, Mister," I answer. "I teach at the community college," I offer conversationally, planning to win this grumpy man over with my kind and sweet nature.

He lets out a grunt and glares at me through the mirror. O-kay, I realize. So someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.

Another sound comes from my co-passenger, this time sounding like a mixture of laugh and a cough. What's that about? I wonder, starting to feel irritated. I understand you're enjoying the book, but don't bother others, dude.

As the bus finally crawls to a stop a block away from the college, I drain the last few drops of my life saving elixir and walk to the front of the bus to get down. "Thank you, Sir," I say to the driver, determined to make him smile. "You have a good day."

Instead of thanking me, he pulls a face and lifts a brow, essentially telling me to take a hike. Oh forget it! I give up all attempts at spreading a little morning sunshine and step out of the bus. Behind me, I hear a loud snort, no doubt coming from the rude potterhead. As soon as I hear him get down from the bus, I turn around and scowl at the copper-haired weirdo. The ghost of his laughter still visible on his lips only angers me more.

"Alright, you Sniggering Stranger, what is wrong with you?" I ask without any preamble.

His eyebrows reach for his hairline as he asks in turn, "You still don't know?"

"Ah! So you were laughing at me?" I shoot back, narrowing my eyes venomously at him.

"Who else?" he responds like it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Are you really so clueless or do you have something battery-operated down there that's turning your brain into mush? I mean you did moan just a little while ago ..."

Battery-operated …? Turning my brain to mush? Does he mean the remote-controlled … things? It takes a few seconds before realization dawns on me and I feel my cheeks flush with anger. "How dare you!" I retort, trying to maintain a modicum of civility.

"Either that or you have really bad eyesight," he amends quickly.

"You're an asshole," I bite out the insult.

He grins then, a grin that makes me want to smack that smile right off his face. "So you really didn't notice that the bus driver was a woman?"

I feel the color drain from my face before rushing back to make me feel flushed, this time in embarrassment. "He … she … it … was a woman?"

He nods sagely. "If you had looked a little south of her face, you would have realized. Dudes don't have such assets."

My anger flares up again. "But dudes can surely be huge assholes, like yourself," I snap before walking away from the rude, disrespectful prick.

A/N: So thoughts?

Share them with me and leave a review.

Thanks for reading.

Love,

Ann