fast car | STEVE HARRINGTON [2]

1. surprise, surprise

RINGO WHEELER liked to think that after eighteen years of existing she had finally learned how to get it right. She had mastered the art of finding friends that would always be there for her, made holding a steady and loving relationship look like a fine art and learned the importance of having a strong relationship with one's mother.

But driving? Well, Ringo Wheeler was about to make that her bitch.

She pointedly kept her eyes forward on the road, never daring to glance sideways at the driving tester in case the scribbles he was writing on the record sheet wasn't a series of stars and hearts alongside the margin of the page. The tester, who of all names was called Judas, looked iffy the second he settled into her banged up yellow bug. Ringo would have taken offence to his upturned nose and stiff posture, had he not held the power of providing her with a licence. Her 1969 Volkswagen Beetle was her baby, even if it did emit a very worrying rattle every time it was turned on.

"Take the next left," Judas instructed, pointing with his pen towards the nearest turn. Switching her indicators on and flipping her hair so he could clearly see she was checking her mirrors, Ringo proudly made the turn. Scribbles be damned, this was some of the best driving she had done in her life.

Turning the corner allowed her to see a group of teenagers that were flocked together ahead, lazily walking down the street as they had just exited the movie theatre. Ringo beamed at the dark curly head of her cousin, who had grown exponentially taller in the last few months. Even taller than her now - much to herself and Nancy's chagrin. Completely forgetting her current situation, she started to thump her palm against the steering wheel, waving excitedly at the group who awkwardly waved back.

"Hey losers!" She shouted through her open window, eyes darting back and forth between them and the road ahead.

"Isn't Ringo doing her driving test today?" Lucas muttered, dropping his hand when she was out of sight.

"Yep," Mike sighed, having a strong sense his cousin wouldn't be passing after that display. It was a true shame, he really wanted another chauffeur to drive him around while Nancy was still in the process of learning.

"Yeah, she's not passing," Lucas scoffed, dipping his hand back into the box of popcorn he had kept with him since the theatre.

"Not a chance in hell," Mike agreed.

As Ringo turned back to face the road again, she felt eyes burning into the side of her face that told her Judas was very unimpressed with her little display. Awkwardly swallowing, she turned the wheel to pull into the parking lot as Judas instructed.

Pulling the car into park, Ringo's hand shakily twitched through her blonde hair, hoping she hadn't managed to screw herself entirely. Steve had spent too many Saturdays screaming in her passenger seat for her to let him and herself down now. Even her uncle Ted had tried to teach her once - that lasted all but ten minutes before he told her to let him out on the side of the road and never drive again.