1. I think I failed my driver's test

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Driving has never been a skill of mine. This was becoming painfully clear as I was being passed on the highway and my driving instructor was glaring daggers in the side of my face.

"It'd be best if you at least tried to approach the speed limit, Ms. Cotho"

I winced a little as a semi passed on the left with their horn. I was going 50 in a 55 and it was my first time on a road this big out in San Francisco.

"Ms. Cotho you're being passed by tractor-trailers it's not safe you're going to cause an accident"

I gritted my teeth, my gut was telling me not to push my luck. My Gran hadn't had the time to take me out practicing so taking Drivers Ed through my school was my only option and not panning out well. I had the coordination

"Mr. Reicke, if Olivia can't find the gas peddle maybe we can pull over and I can take it from here" a shrill voice shared from the back seat.

Danielle Pamorelli was the last person I wanted to be stuck in a car with but when your mom wasn't coherent enough to sign the permission slip until the day before it was due you get stuck with the shittiest rotation left.

"Miss. Cotho I have to agree with Miss. Pamorelli. Perhaps you should pull over before you get us hit?" Mr. Reicke offered.

I sighed and flipped on my turn signal when flashing blue lights pulled up behind me.

Fuck

"Oh great job Olivia now I'm going to be late for volleyball"

A part of me was tempted to slam on the breaks and check if Danielle had her stupid seatbelt in place but instead, I just slowed reasonably and stopped right before an overpass.

"Let me do the talking Ms. Cotho, and Ms. Pamorelli please refrain from adding to the conversation" Mr. Reicke shuffled through some of his paperwork to try to find what I could only assume was a registration or driver's ed instructor documentation.

I checked the rearview mirror and felt the hairs on the back of my neck stick straight up. I've never particularly liked cops, but this one seemed different.

As the officer approached the car alarm bells were going off in my head and glancing at Danielle in the rear view she was having a similar reaction. Mr. Reicke was still busy ruffling through his papers. I made eye contact with Daniele and wanted to say something when a loud knock came from the window.

I rolled it down and the officer had an unsettling grin on his face that made my stomach churn more.

"I'm going to need to ask you all to step out of the vehicle"

I paused and looked over to Mr. Reicke who seemed a little frazzled by the stack of papers in his hands.

"Sir, do you want our learner's permits first?" Danielle asked cautiously from the back seat. Her voice was shaken.

"I've already asked you once, don't make me ask again" He repeated.

I glanced to my right to see what Mr. Reicke had to say and found he was eerily still, almost frozen in place.

"Mr. Reicke?" I started "Mr. Reicke are you alright?"

"You girls should have stepped out of the car when you had the chance"

What happened next was kind of a blue to me. I remember the car flipping, hearing screaming, and hitting the overpass. Then I remember being pulled from the wreckage and a boy shouting for reinforcements.

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Growing up it was just me, my Mom, and my Gran. I never knew my father, but I knew from a young age not to ask about him unless I wanted to set Mom off. She was never incredibly stable and often left us for days only to come back stumbling and rambling.

Gran held everything together, she did such a good job raising me I didn't fully understand how atypical our family was until I got older and saw the neighbors. We didn't leave the house often, and I was homeschooled from birth until high school. Still, I loved Gran and she inspired my love of reading and learning. There wasn't a subject she wasn't an expert in.

Everything was great until 3 weeks ago when Gran passed from a heart attack.

I had hoped her death would shake Mom out of whatever weird trance she was in but instead, she acted like nothing had happened. Gran had requested to be cremated and for her body to not be viewable after death so my goodbye to her had been walking out the door on my way to school.

I wish I had spent more time with her that morning, but you never know when your last day with someone is.

We were Gran's only family, so there wasn't much need for a funeral, especially considering she hated people making a fuss over her. Instead, I burned a couple of smores for her in our fire pit outside. She always said it was a kind way to recognize the dead and say I love you.

I've been off since I lost her. Like a part of me was gone forever.

I wanted to stay home from school but I knew Gran would've been disappointed in me for slacking in my classes so I went back the same week we lost her. I had sort of been phoning it in the past couple of weeks, to include during Driver's Ed Behind the Wheel.

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I came to in a weird medical/ hospital room but there weren't any machines like how I'd expect there to be. I was still a bit phased from the accident when I started to get up and find Danielle.

"Woah there" I heard someone call out as I lost my balance and started heading towards the floor.

I felt a grip on my arm and was stopped from face-planting and completely eating shit.

I looked up and was met with a pair sky blue eyes. I went to speak but found my voice caught in my through realizing how terrifying they looked staring into my soul with an expressionless face.

"Take it slow, you had quite a trip to get here," My nameless, nurse said as he helped me carefully to my feet and then to sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Where am I?" I asked, looking around the room.

It was very plain walls with a stone texture. There were wash basins and tables past the foot of the bed and an arched window to my right. Outside the window, I thought I could see kids my age and younger playing with swords and marching in a large formation. It looked like a summer camp with really realistic weapons and armor.

"Welcome to Camp Jupiter, I'm Jason Grace"

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