Chapter 16

                                    

                                          
Grace
Today was finally my driving test. I was very nervous. I had spent the last two weeks practicing without stopping. I also hadn't talked to Reed in these two weeks. I had been ignoring him since he dropped me off at my dorm. I had been ignoring everyone except Jess and Layne. I hadn't even been going to class. I needed these two weeks to practice and try to recover my nose. It didn't hurt as much but it still did a little bit.
As I sat in the waiting area, my thoughts kept drifting back to Reed. I couldn't ignore him forever, but I wasn't sure how to bridge the gap that had formed between us. We had to talk, to clear the air, but I didn't know where to start.
"Grace Welch?" The instructor's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "You're up."
I took a deep breath, pushing all my worries about Reed to the back of my mind. I needed to focus. This was my moment. But as I stepped outside to start the test, I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to have Reed waiting for me at the end of it. He had a game tonight and wasn't able to come.
With one last deep breath, I got into the car, determined to put everything aside for now and just get through this. The rest—Reed, Salem, my nose, everything else—could wait until after the test.
As I sat in the driver's seat, I gripped the steering wheel tightly, trying to steady my shaking hands. The instructor settled in beside me, clipboard in hand, and gave me a reassuring nod. But no amount of encouragement could quiet the anxiety building up inside me.
"Whenever you're ready, Grace," the instructor said calmly.
I took a deep breath, started the car, and began the test. At first, everything seemed to be going smoothly. I executed the turns, checked my mirrors, and obeyed the speed limits, just like I'd practiced. But as the test progressed, the pressure started to get to me. 
I tried to refocus, but my thoughts were a jumbled mess. As I approached a stop sign, I realized too late that I hadn't slowed down enough. I hit the brakes a little too hard, causing the car to lurch forward abruptly. The instructor made a note on his clipboard, and my heart sank.
"Keep going," he said, his tone still neutral, but I could feel my confidence slipping away.
As I continued, the mistakes piled up. I hesitated too long at a four-way stop, second-guessed myself during a lane change, and completely botched the parallel parking section. By the time we returned to the starting point, I knew it was over.
The instructor turned to me, offering a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry, Grace, but you didn't pass this time."
My stomach dropped. I'd spent so much time preparing, and it all felt wasted. But more than that, failing felt like just another thing I couldn't get right—just like everything with Reed.
"Thanks," I mumbled, trying to keep the disappointment from showing too much.
As I walked out of the car, I noticed my phone buzzing in my bag. It was a message from Jesisca.
Jessica: How did it go?
I stared at the message, unsure of how to respond. She, Layne and Reed had spent so much time teaching me. I didn't want to disappoint any of them.
Grace: I failed.
My phone started to buzz as soon as she read the message. She was at the boys' hockey game and I could hear all the buzzing from the game.
"What happened?" She sounded worried and confused.
"I–I don't know. I got distracted and–"
I broke down and I started to cry. I had put so much effort in this. So much time.