3 Years

99 - Two Ton Death Trap

Small time jump because I felt like it.

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*March 2041*
Summer break was growing closer, and everyone was thrilled. They couldn't wait to just relax and finally have some easy months.

The twins turned sixteen, which meant they were much more interested in driving. They both had permits but barely drove since they didn't go anywhere that Nini couldn't take them. (They also only had one car.)

The first time the two of them got behind the wheel, Nini was terrified. Lauren didn't put enough pressure on the gas in the beginning, but when she did, the car would jump; Jayden was the complete opposite and went far too fast, especially over speed bumps. Nini's knuckles were ghost white by the end of the lessons.

Ricky then offered to help them, but Nini thought they would kill him (and her). Ricky was sure though that he wouldn't be frightened from the passenger seat. Nini did end up saying yes; he was incredibly insistent, and she could tell he was excited.

He was much more thrilled than fearful since this would be the first milestone that he would get to experience with them. He even offered them to use his car, but Nini shut that down immediately, saying that they needed to learn in the car that they were going to be driving. (She also didn't want them to accidentally damage anything.)

Nini sat in the back seat and watched while being deafened by her thundering heartbeat. Lauren went first since she was older (only by fourteen minutes Jayden kept reminding). It was slow going at first, and Nini was gripping onto the door and her seat the entire time (they were just in the East High parking lot) while Ricky was in the passenger seat.

She kept watching his face, but he was completely neutral, which was the exact opposite of her. I guess a teenage driver isn't as scary compared to fifteen years of... whatever it was that was going on.

Ricky had such a strong poker face now; he seemingly had the personality of a Driver's Ed teacher who had been doing this for way too many years. Or an English teacher who has memorized every one of Shakespeare's sonnets and was utterly done with the material.

After another lap just in the lot, Ricky said, "Ok, this time keep going straight and take a right at the stop sign."

"What?!" Nini, Jayden, and Lauren shrieked at the same time.

Ricky was unfazed by their outbursts and just nodded. "Yup."

"That's a road," Lauren pointed out.

"Mhm," he nodded again.

"She's never done that before," Nini added.

"Today's the day," Ricky affirmed.

"No! Today is not the day I die!" Jayden protested.

"You're not gonna die," Ricky said. He looked over at Lauren and instructed, "Tune them out. Just... drive."

The girl nodded nervously. She pressed on the gas slowly, and Ricky nodded, encouraging her to put more pressure on it. She did so and went past the turn that would have been to continue in the lot. When they reached the stop sign, she took her time before pulling out onto the road (probably too much time).

"There's no school going on, so hit about 30," Ricky stated. Lauren pressed on the gas a little bit more; they all felt it since it wasn't the smoothest transition.

When the next stop sign came into view, she waited too long to press on the brake, which made them all lurch forward because of how much force she actually had to use before they would run it. "Sorry," she apologized.