❛ So baby drive slow
Till we run out of road ❜
- Taylor Swift, Fearless

Since Reese and I are turning 15 this year, we're allowed to get our learners permits.

Reese, of course, wastes no time being the perfect son so his parents can agree to sign him up. However, I don't even have to try. My Dad said there is no chance I'm going to get it, and that I'll just have to wait until I'm 16–or even 18. Just the thought of that makes me groan. I mean, yeah I can walk to school and usually have a ride for longer destinations, but I just wanna drive!

It doesn't help at all that Reese won't stop blabbing about how he's getting his learners permit and he practically aced his first test. When I'm seated at the Wilkersons' table in the kitchen for breakfast, I regret ever coming over at the sound of Reese's gloating. "We get it, Reese, you're gonna be behind the wheel," I roll my eyes.

"Awh, it's okay, Tess. I'll drive you to school," he mocks and I make a face at him.

"No, thanks. I'd rather not crash and die."

At school, Reese and I sit together like we usually do when he's not bullying anyone. He's been unusually calm, staying out of trouble and instead just enjoying his lunch—like a normal person would. I wave at my classmates—I guess I'd call them my friends now—sitting at the table to the left of ours. I would sit with them, but I never do unless Reese is busy. I can't leave him to sit alone at a table, and my friends don't want to sit with him, which is understandable. Plus, I just started talking to those girls and Reese has been my lunch buddy ever since kindergarten—no way am I ditching him for them.

We're eating in silence for a few moments and it's actually quite pleasant. "What's wrong with you today? You seem upset," he speaks up nonchalantly, not bothering to look up from his food.

"What's wrong with me?" I ask, hinting at his uncharacteristic behavior. I let out a huff. "It's just—I've had a bad day. I found my CD player broken today, and... I really wanna go to driving classes too, it's not fair." I notice his eyes widen a bit at the mention of my CD player, a tell-tale sign that he's guilty of something. I knew it—that destructive goblin.

"You know, my instructor is so dumb that I don't even think he'd notice if you tagged along," he's looking at me now. My eyebrows raise in hope.

"You think?" I'm actually considering his suggestion, it would be fun to try.

"Yeah, totally. Plus, my Dad is driving me." I know exactly what he means by that last comment, Hal is going to be clueless about this escapade. He won't ask any questions when I get in the DMV car too. That's how I've always gotten out of trouble from my Dad; Hal's nonchalantness to the concept of Dad-Code.

And when I get into the Driver's Ed car with Reese, his instructor doesn't bat an eye, instead he's preoccupied with a bunch of paperwork in his hands. Reese was right, he gives me his signature smirk when he gets into the backseat. He even had the decency of making me go first. "You know the drill, you take turns," the man in the passenger seat ays monotonously. I gulp. Holy shit, I'm in the driver's seat!

It then hits me, I practically have no idea how to do anything. I put on my seatbelt first, and look to Reese for guidance; who motions to the gear in response, telling me to put it in drive. I'm in an empty parking lot, and all I have to do is drive along those cones. How hard could this be?

I already know how to push the brakes and so on, so I begin to move the car. My heart pounds with each inch that the car moves. I grip the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turn white.

I hit a few of the cones, even though I try my hardest not to. I'm not exactly doing a terrible job, but I can't say it's the best either. The cardboard car that pops out scares the daylights out of me, though, I let out a gasp and take a rough turn to the right; hitting more cones in the process. "Whoops." I wince. The instructor doesn't even seem to notice.

"Yikes," Reese says teasingly.

I take a deep breath and continue. But a plastic deer comes popping out next. I should have seen that coming. I push the brakes a little too soon and fast, causing the car to abruptly and it bumping into the deer. The wheels screech unpleasantly and Reese, who was leaning over, goes reeling backwards into his seat.

"Dammit, I thought I paid this gas bill already! You're doing great, turn right up here. I think you're ready for some street driving."

Reese and I exchange a look. "Umm... I don't that's a good idea—

"That's it, I've had it!" I flinch at the instructor's high voice, "I don't even know what text messaging is. How can they charge me fifteen bucks a month for it?"

Oh. He doesn't care at all.

I push the pedal and I begin driving on the street now. I try to adjust my anxious breathing when I see cars pass by me. I keep following the instructors directions on where to go, as for instructions, he isn't giving me any. Reese keeps yelling at me to 'watch out' and 'don't do that' though, but that doesn't help at all either; it just makes this all the more nerve wracking.

"Okay, pull over." The instructor says, and I do at a parking spot by the many buildings, "I just need to go to the post office." He begins taking off his seatbelt. "Oh, god, look at that line."

"What are you doing? What are we gonna do here?! I didn't even get a turn." Reese scolds.

"Sorry, Reese, it doesn't look like we'll have enough time. We'll drive back and I'll get to you next week, how about that?" He leaves the car and Reese and I are left alone.

"I'm sorry, Reese, this is all my fault. I shouldn't have come here. I took up your entire lesson." I look down at my foot on the pedals.

Reese gets out of the car and goes up to my open window, "slide over."

"Uh, no, I think it's better if I stay here. I mean, we don't even know if you can drive. We don't even have anywhere to go."

He groans, "Just— come on, you'll see."

"Reese, no. We're staying here until he gets back. We've broken the rules enough already!" I frown.

"Okay, I just wanna get to drive back." I give in with a sigh and move to the passenger seat.

"Whatever."

"And we can go on a little ride." He says with a grin when he's in the driver's seat, fingers flexing as he grabs the steering wheel.

"No, we're not!" I try to move his hand away from the steering wheel, turning it in the process, we fight like that for about a second before a thud emits from the back.

"What was that?!"

"Way to go, Reese, you crashed and we haven't even moved yet," I frown.

"No I didn't, the car isn't even in drive!"

"Well, you obviously hit something! What are we gonna do now?" I can't even believe I considered his stupid idea and came here with him, he whimpers a bit, before starting the car and driving off with a scream.

"Are you crazy? We just hit a car and now you're stealing this one?" I shakily put on my seatbelt as he continues driving. We keep going until we reach a highway. "Do you even know where you're going?!"

"Just be quiet for a minute and let me think!" I glance at him worriedly. He actually seems as antsy about this as I am, and it sort of comforts me that he's not in destruction mode. The quiet gives me some time to soothe my anxious breathing a bit before the sound of sirens disturbs me, I turn around to see a police car right behind us.

"Oh my god, Reese!" He looks at the rearview mirror to see the cop car and bites his lip. "What are you gonna do? They're chasing us!" Reese might have had many interactions like these before, but I've only been in trouble with the cops once! And that was courtesy of him and his brothers. I'd rather not have a second encounter where I'm most likely not going to be let off as easily as the last time.

"Okay, don't panic. It's just a cop—that's nothing. You can handle one stupid cop," he talks to himself.

Turns out, there's more than 'one stupid cop', a few other cop cars reveal themselves, and the sensation of dread in my stomach just gets worse.

"Oh, man," he drawls.

"Are you gonna keep going?!"

"I don't know— I think so." Reese's eyebrows are curled up in apprehension—it's a rare sight to see him afraid.

"Well, okay— then, what are you doing, go faster!" I demand. It seems like the only way...

He looks back and forth at me and pushes the pedal harder.

A few more minutes of the cars chasing us and it just seems like they've grown bigger in number. One of the cop's voices sounds from a bullhorn, "your mother wants you to know that she loves you and when you see her again she will give you lots of hugs and kisses." What? That sounds nothing like Lois.

"Do you hear that bullshit?" I ask.

"Yeah." He pushes even harder on the pedal.

"Reese, I can't believe this. If we get caught—" I stutter, I'm at a loss for words. My brain is a haze of pure fear and my body is alight with nerves.

He thinks for a moment, "no, I have an idea. There's a railroad crossing about two miles ahead. If we jump out just a split second before the train squashes the car, we can start new lives as circus people."

I scoff at his suggestion.

"Come on, Reese. Seriously, we're dead," I sigh and we sit in silence for a few moments. "You know, it's a shame. You're not even half a bad driver..." He looks away from the road and at me for a few seconds. "I actually wouldn't have minded you driving me to school." I give him a weak smile, leaning my head back on the headrest.

"I probably won't ever be able to drive again after this," he says, a somber look in his eyes. I know how badly he's wanted this, he actually deserves to get his license and he's capable of it.

"Ugh. I'm sorry, this is all my fault."

"No, I'm sorry for getting you into this. I'm just—you know, I'm not very smart. And you know me, I always do this: I get in trouble, I panic and then do things that make it worse!"

"Come on, don't say that. I mean, it's true, but—you didn't even hit that car," I admit.

"I knew it."

"Plus, this is pretty much both of our faults, we can't blame this on eachother. It isn't gonna get us nowhere." I stare down at my lap in hopelessness, looking at the road ahead will just make me more anxious.

"Yeah, you're right. We got into this together, so we'll stick together." He grabs my hand from over the console and holds it up, his other hand on the steering wheel. "We've always gotten into trouble like this, and yet we come out unscathed." I laugh at that last sentence, not exactly, we always end up facing the consequences—and since when did he know what unscathed meant? Nonetheless, his words incite a semblance of optimism in my heart. "I'm really sorry for always ruining stuff for you, it's just how I am. But, that never stopped you from being friends with me and sticking by my side! That's what we have to do, and who says we won't come out unscathed once again?" he finishes. Wow.

I give him a wide smile—God, he's an idiot. "You gonna pull over now?" He glances at our entwined hands and lets go.

"Yeah, we should probably end this chase," he smiles at me and turns the steering wheel.

Instead of pulling over, he actually drives back to the driving school. He gets to the driving course at the parking lot, and manages to make it through the thin lane of cones seamlessly. When the cardboard car pops out, he gracefully dodges it, as he does the deer. He even gives it a tap on the head through the window. My mouth is open with awe the entire way.

"Woah." I exclaim. I'm impressed. I stare at his profile in the driver's seat—so proud. It fills me with joy. He shoots a toothy smirk my way before parallel parking. Perfectly, I might add. He unbuckles his seatbelt and leaves, but as soon as he gets to my side of the car, he leans over the open window to talk.

"By the way, I'm the one who broke your CD player. Please don't get mad at me, I was going to give it back." Oh, so that's why he did all this; to make up for it. I laugh at his siliness. I don't get the chance to reply since the cops immediately pull him away. I can hear his grunts at them tackling him.

He screams when they pull out the pepper spray and I wince. He's so stupid, and I mean that affectionately.