Chapter 31: The Driving Lesson

My body shook as I looked at Jasper with fear. He stood beside the shiny silver Volvo with a look of disbelief. I had already tried to run once, but Emmett had caught me and carried me right back before I could escape into the woods.

"Don't make me do this…" I took a step back. "I'm totally fine not knowing how to."

"It's like riding a bike, Hannah. You'll be great! We all came to a decision that Edward's car is the best one to practice on," Emmett said, grabbing my shoulder to stop me from running again.

My heart was pounding painfully in my chest.

Jasper rolled his eyes. "No. You and Jacob made that decision, Emmett."

Seth was nervous beside me. He wasn't thrilled that they were forcing this on me. "Shouldn't we wait until Edward gets back."

Jasper tried to reassure him. "Don't worry, Seth. I'll keep her calm."

Jacob added from the porch, "If you crash sis, just remember that you heal very quickly and it probably won't hurt."

I cringed. "I don't think this is a good idea."

Jasper placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "It can't be any worse than Bella."

I swallowed. My eyes stared at the vehicle.

"Are… are you sure about this?" I stared back at the keys with great uncertainty.

Emmett smirked. "Come on, Lassie. There's nothing to be afraid of unless you wreck his car. Then he might come after you."

I hesitantly took the keys from Jasper. Emmett released me when he saw I was complying.

If Edward were here, he would save me. However, I knew Edward was miles away hunting with Bella. I also knew Alice was inside the house and Edward would not know through her own thoughts and visions what we were about to do.

"If I do wreck, should I hide?"

Seth couldn't help but laugh at my fear of how Edward would react if I damaged his wheels. "Don't worry, Han. I'm sure he won't murder you. He might just throw you in a pit with spiders."

I cringed. "Remind me again why I can't practice in Jacob's car?"

Jacob scoffed from where he sat with Renesmee on the porch. Renesmee was a year old now, but she looked like a six year old. She was so wise and mature for her age.

We were moving in a month to New Hampshire like we had planned last year, so they wanted me to learn how to drive because I would be attending school with them in the spring. My thirst was getting easier to control as the months passed, and I was relieved my feeding schedule was spreading out at last.

Jacob crossed his arms and responded to my question. "Last thing I need is my baby getting scratched up."

I noticed as he spoke, that Carlisle and Esme were standing on the porch as well, curious by my first day of practice.

Stepping over to the car, I looked over the unmarked silver paint and perfect structure with even more terror. I had seen angry Edward only a few times. I wasn't sure if I wanted to have him kill me.

"Oh come on, Han. You can't be that bad of a driver!" Emmett stepped beside me and pulled the door open. "Sit. You are not getting out of this. You're turning eighteen in three months. You should've already gotten your license by now."

I shivered. "Technically I'm sixteen forever, so you can't pull that card."

He was only amused. "Old enough for a driver's license!"

I sighed with defeat. Getting in the driver's seat, I held the key and took a deep breath. Turning the car on, I shut my eyes praying it didn't blow up. Thankfully it cut on without an issue. As his dash lit up and classic music started to play, I relaxed a little more. Step one was complete.

Emmett shut the door, and Jasper jumped into the passenger seat. They decided he would be the best teacher because he could keep me calm. Honestly, I preferred Edward. He kept me even more calm. Or Seth for that matter, but they wouldn't let him teach me because he'd just distract me. Jasper and Emmett probably had bets on if I'd crash or not which only made me more anxious.

"Alright," Jasper began. "I know you don't really need it but we have to keep up appearances. Seatbelt on."

I did as he said, fumbling for my seatbelt. My irregular heartbeat quickened to almost that of a human again. Once I was belted in, I slowly put my hands on the steering wheel in the places I had seen everyone else hold onto.

"Can you see over the dash?" Jasper started his lesson. "Mirrors are good?"

I checked my vision, adjusted the mirrors with the button I saw beside me. I heard Emmett snicker outside. I turned my head to glare at him from where he stood a few feet away. When I looked out the window, I saw Rosalie and Alice had joined us as well. I was horrified by the growing audience. Seth seemed much more anxious from where he stood near the porch, especially since I was now in the car.

"Okay. Let's take it slow." Jasper said. "Hands on 10 and 2. Foot on brake." I did as he said, pushing carefully on the brake. "Alright… put the car in drive."

I gasped. "Already? Shouldn't I practice my lights first or something? Turning the wheel? Windshield wipe-"

Jasper grabbed my right hand gripping the steering wheel and put it on the gear shift. "No. Just drive."

I grimaced. He released me, and I pulled the black handle putting the car in drive. I never imagined I would be scared of something other than spiders. I was scared to drive.

"Ease your foot off the brake," Jasper said.

I was frozen. I knew if I did that we'd start to move.

Emmett was cracking up outside. His laughter rang in my ears. Carlisle snapped at him to be nice.

"I'm sorry. I've just never seen anyone so scared to drive before."

Jacob explained. "Mom died driving. She's always been scared to get behind the wheel. It's one of the reasons she took forever to get her permit when we turned fifteen."

Jasper sent calming waves my way. "Slowly, Hannah. Just ease your foot off."

I did. The car started to move. I panicked and slammed my foot down. The car came to a halt and Jasper put his hand above the glove box to keep from moving forward.

I gasped. "Sorry!"

Jasper was trying not to laugh. But I could see he was amused. "Again. This time let's not try to break Edward's pedal and his brakes."

I let out a heavy breath. I eased my foot off again and we were rolling slowly down the drive. My hand gripped the steering wheel hard. I was sure it would have indents in the leather when we were done.

"Okay. Now move your foot to the gas."

I gripped the wheel tighter. "Can't I just roll?"

"No. The car will stop soon when you start to flatten out. Hit the gas. Just a tap."

I moved my foot to the gas. I felt my breathing hitch. I tapped down. The car lurched forward and hit about 10mph. I panicked again. Jasper snapped, "Don't you dare hit that brake!"

I did. We came to a stop again. "Sorry!" I went to put the car in park. "I don't think I'm ready!"

Jasper grabbed my hand and put it on the wheel. "You are a vampire and shapeshifter, Hannah! You have fought a crazy redhead and overcome agonizing thirst! You can drive a car! Now drive!"

I hit the gas. We shot forward at the same speed. Emmett burst into laughter again as I tried to steer the car to keep on the dirt driveway towards the path leading to the main road.

"Faster," Jasper said.

I groaned. Pushing a little harder on the gas, we sped up. So far I had only been driving straight. The path was turning up ahead.

"Just slowly turn the wheel when you reach the curve."

I was nervous. "There's a lot of trees up ahead."

"So?"

"What if I hit them?"

"If you hit them then the car will stop," Jasper stated, as if it was obvious.

We were doing 25 and the trees were approaching. Jasper sent me calming waves. "Turn the wheel slowly."

I listened to him and started to turn. As the car changed direction following the path, I started to relax a little.

Okay… not so bad... I was doing it… I was driving.

"See. You got i-"

A bunny hopped out onto the path suddenly in front of the car.

Jasper knew from my panic what I was about to do. He shouted, "No! Don't!"

He was a second too late. I shrieked and spun the wheel to the right. The car shot into the forest and crashed into a fallen tree. Thankfully the airbag had not deployed and the windshield was in one piece. I was sure the sound of glass shattering was the headlights, and the bending of aluminum was the bumper. I jerked my foot off the gas as our vehicle only spun tires in the mud. Jasper was silent as he sat straight again in shock. He said nothing as he put the car in park for me. He got out of the car shutting the door. But once he was gone, I heard his laughter. Emmett was laughing too.

My heart was racing. I stared at the wood in front of me. Classical music continued to play.

Edward was going to kill me.

My door opened and Seth stood there with concern. When he saw I was okay though, he sighed with relief. Then he turned and walked away. He was coughing his own laughter. I was horrified. I had been right. I really couldn't drive.

"Hannah! Are you alright?" Esme was beside me with more concern than the others who were laughing.

I looked over at her with horror. "Did… did I kill it?"

She misunderstood. "No. The car will run. It's just a little scratched up and bent."

I stared at her still. "Not the car! Did I kill the bunny?!"

Esme was shocked. Then she covered her mouth and burst into giggles. I could hear the others laughing from a few feet away. Renesmee was suddenly there, and in her arms was the white bunny I had managed to avoid. It struggled in her arms, terrified that it would be eaten or maimed.

"Nope. Here she is," Renesmee said. "I'll take her further into the woods so she isn't close to the road." Renesmee started to skip away, her bronze hair bouncing. "Come on little fella. You are clearly a lucky little rabbit and we will never eat you since Hannah likes you so much."

I glared at Renesmee as she danced away. She was teasing me.

Jacob came over and inspected the damage while his imprint went off to put the bunny somewhere safe. He looked at the front of the car, and nodded. "Yep. Whole bumper has to go. Thank God I didn't let you drive my baby."

Carlisle stepped over to the door then and undid my seatbelt for me. I was still gripping the wheel, and he pulled my hands from it. My grip showed in the leather just as I feared. "And the steering wheel," Carlisle commented. He managed to pull me out of the car and I was on my feet finally seeing the damage.

The engine was probably okay, but it looked like the car was growing out of the tree. Glass from the headlights was scattered on the forest floor. I covered my face in horror.

"So… is it safe to say she didn't pass day one of driver school?"

I groaned from Emmett's question.

Jasper sighed. "Whose car are we crashing next?"

Carlisle cut the car off and put Edward's keys in his pocket. "I think that's enough for today. Looks like Edward's getting that new car he wanted next year this week."

Renesmee was suddenly back. "I found some friends for your bunny to be with, Hannah. Lucky is safe in a burrow with some other bunnies."

"Aw. Love the name," Alice chimed. "We'll make sure we don't hunt bunnies for a few years so we don't accidentally kill Lucky."

Emmett and Jasper burst out laughing again. Seth and Jacob started laughing too. I glared at them all. Rosalie was only smiling, trying not to laugh. I knew she wanted to.

Esme crouched at the front of the car inspecting the damage. She was amused too, but was trying to hide it to not upset me. "Jacob. You think it can be restored?"

Jacob went behind the car and jerked it back. As it was pulled from the tree, the silver bumper fell off and onto the forest floor. "Hmm… not in enough time before Edward gets home."

"You're right on that," a voice spoke darkly from behind us.

We all looked over to see Edward standing in the very spot where I had almost hit the rabbit. Bella was behind him looking at the scene before her with shock. Edward narrowed his eyes as he looked at his brothers who were laughing again.

I turned to him with horror. "Edward! I'm so sorry! I told them not to let me!"

Edward moved forward. I was frozen. "Are you hurt, Hannah?"

His question surprised me. I shook my head. He nodded. "Good." His eyes shot over to Emmett whose idea this was in the first place. "Are you satisfied?"

Emmett smirked. "Hey. Don't look at me. I suggested using your car because it was the safest one we had. And least valuable."

Alice suddenly giggled as she saw something in the near future.

Edward looked over at Carlisle. "Make that two new cars."

He disappeared then. Emmett was puzzled. We heard the garage door open and metal crunching then. Emmett was horrified. "No!" He took off to try and save his Jeep.

Carlisle sighed pinching the bridge of his nose in disbelief. "Jasper. Make sure no one kills each other."

Jasper saluted and raced to check on our brothers.

Bella glanced over at Seth with a puzzled expression. "What happened?"

Seth smiled. "You all aren't allowed to hunt bunnies anymore."

She was confused. I sat on the forest floor in embarrassment.

Renesmee skipped over and put her hand on her mom's face to replay everything. Bella was shocked. Then she laughed too.

I pouted. "I think I'm the worst driver in the world."

Jacob lifted the hood which was bent too. "Yeah. Thank goodness we waited until after you were a snow-wolf before we taught you how to drive."

Edward came back suddenly, seeming pretty satisfied. Emmett was back too and looked irritated. Jasper was humored.

"I'm not mad at you," Edward spoke to me. "I'm only upset that out of all the reasons to crash it's because you were scared of hitting a bunny…" he sighed. "You are just way too innocent sometimes." He stepped over to Jacob then. "If you fix it up, it can be Seth's. He needs a vehicle to visit Hannah. For now, I don't think Hannah should drive until I find her a better space to practice."

I agreed. Edward stepped over to me and held his hand out. I took it and he pulled me up. "Come on. Let's get you back to the house. I think you've had enough trauma for one day."

Bella stepped over putting an arm around my shoulders as her and Edward walked me back. Bella whispered as she did, "I think what you did was sweet. I'm sure the bunny was glad it wasn't road kill."

I sighed. "I told them I wasn't ready. They didn't listen."

"They were hoping you'd crash," Edward muttered. "Jacob and Emmett were betting against Seth and Jasper that you would. That's why I'm mad. They put your safety at risk for their stupid games."

His words horrified me. "Jacob bet against me!"

He smirked. "Don't worry, Hannah. I took care of it." His eyes shot over to something next to Jacob's Volkswagen. A mangled up motorcycle.

I smiled. "Thanks."

He squeezed my hand. "Anything for you, sis."

Bella sighed. "I don't think our eternity will ever be boring with Hannah around."

"I agree," Edward said. "Life will only get more exciting with our special snow-wolf."