The test proctor slides into the passenger seat and pulls the seatbelt across his chest. He clicks open a pen and starts taking notes on the clipboard he held.
Kate grips the wheel and swallows nervously. She knew she was a good driver, had mastered all the skills necessary to get her license, but the quiet of the car and the testing situation put her on edge.
"Okay, are you ready?" he asks, smiling at Kate.
"Yeah," Kate nods, trying to not appear nervous because she'd heard from friends that being nervous was an instant fail on her test.
"Don't worry: it's not as scary as it seems. We're just chillin', right? Just taking a quick drive through the neighborhood." His attempt to cut the tension succeeds and Kate smiles, her nerves lifting.
Under the guise of a casual cruise through town, the test begins.
"Okay: at the next light, you're gonna turn left."
"Okay," Kate nods, changing lanes to make the turn. She sees him making more notes, and quickly squeezes the wheel tighter. She follows his directions for the rest of the test and eventually pulls back into the parking lot they'd started.
She cuts the engine and looks down at her lap, too scared to look at the proctor. She fiddles with the keys and startles when he speaks.
"Okay: you passed." He says it so casually as if he'd known all along she would.
"What?" Kate gasps, turning to him eyes wide and mouth agape.
"You passed! Please remember, though, to stop fully at stop signs. No more California Stops, okay?"
"Yes, sir," Kate nods. Her heart was beating a mile a second; she was so happy.
"Take this up to the DMV and they'll get you sorted up there. You should be very proud of yourself."
The two get out of the car and where the proctor goes left back into his office, Kate goes right towards the lobby of the DMV where her mother was currently waiting for her.
Her hands were shaking; she couldn't believe she'd passed on the first try.
The loud screech she lets out the second her feet cross the threshold of the large room makes every person there turn to her. Some recognize the happiness of the moment and cheer for her or send quick smiles; others simply scoff at the rude interruption and go back to their humdrum lives.
"You passed?" Carol asks her daughter as the teen approaches the chairs she'd claimed.
"Uh-huh," Kate nods, smiling wide. "I passed!" she screams again and throws her arms around her mom for a large hug.
"Oh, honey! Beanie girl! I am so proud of you!"
"Thanks."
Still smiling, Kate waits in the uncomfortable chair, all the while texting and messaging her friends the wonderful news. They, in turn, send back screaming messages of congratulations, and demands for rides to school once their Thanksgiving vacation was over.
Finally, her name is called and Kate heads over to the clerk and hands over her pile of paperwork. She answers more questions, including giving consent to being an organ donor should the need arise, and then is sent to another counter to have her picture taken.
The photographer enters her information into the computer and has Kate check it over for any mistakes. He then positions her just so in front of the plain blue backdrop and takes his place behind the camera. He counts her down and then, with a flash of light, the picture is snapped.
"Looks good to me. What do you think?"
Kate checks the photo, and as far as ID photos went, hers was pretty okay. She wasn't caught blinking and nothing was in her teeth or face. "Looks good," she agrees.
Final steps were completed and soon enough Kate was being handed the black and white slip of paper that acted as her temporary license until her official one arrived.
"Thank you!" Kate says one last time as she turns from the desk.
"Wait! Kate, stop. I want a picture," Carol says, stopping Kate on the sidewalk outside.
"Ugh. Mom," Kate whines; she hated posing for pictures, they made her feel awkward.
"Humor me," Carol insists, holding up her phone.
Reluctantly, Kate stands there while her mom snaps the picture.
"Thank you. Now, was that so bad?"
"Yes, yes it was." The comment gets her a pinch on the arm and a smiling groan from her mother, and Kate laughs again.
It's not until they're back in the car, with Carol driving, on the way to Kate's school that she texts her twin.
If she's being honest with herself, Kate was scared of Tess' reaction.
[][]
"Oh my god! Ah!" Tess shouts, whimpering as she slams on the breaks. The car lurches to a stop, causing everyone inside to slam into their seatbelts.
It had been a month since Kate's driving test, and the twins and their mother were in the car trying to help Tess prepare for her own coming up in the next few days.
"Jesus, Bear!" Kate groans. "Chill out."
"Ugh! Why am I so bad at this?" Tess shouts, pounding the steering wheel with her hand.
For a girl who carried herself with such confidence and could command a full audience with her voice and acting ability, Tess Ross was not a confident driver. Not in the least.
"You're not bad," Kate said to her twin, leaning over the front seats. "You're just too in your head. Pull over." When Tess stops, Kate slides across the backseat and gets out only to open the passenger door a second later. "Mom, switch with me. I want to try something."
"Okay?" Carol questions, following her daughter's directions.
Kate gets into the passenger seat and turns to her twin. Tess' face is twisted as she tries not to cry, and she's tapping random patterns on the wheel.
"Tess, look at me." When her sister turns to face her, Kate's heart drops. She hated to see Tess like this. She reaches out a hand and takes one of Tess'. "You're okay. Do you hear me? You're okay. Take a breath." Together, the sisters breathe in and out a few times, until Tess has calmed down.
"I'm sorry," Tess whispers. "Please don't be mad."
"For what? There's nothing to be sorry about! I promise. I'm not mad. Look at my face: Do I look mad?"
"No."
"Mom's not mad. We just want to help you."
"I know," Tess growls, running a hand through her hair. "I know! Ugh! This whole thing just frustrates me!"
"Yeah, I can see that. So: let's try and figure it out, huh?"
"Yeah, I'd like that," Tess smiles, wiping her face free of tears that had started to fall.
"Okay, so I noticed you do fine in our neighborhood but once we get out onto the bigger streets you freak out. Do you know why? What's making you so scared?"
"The other people, I guess. The unpredictability of it all. I can't control what they do and where they go and it scares me!"
"Yeah, I feel that," Kate agrees with a laugh. "You can't control other people. All you can do is control yourself."
"I know. It's hard!"
"It is, I'm not gonna lie. But you just gotta tune it out. Why do you think I need to listen to music when I drive? It helps me concentrate! It helps me tune everything out."
"I didn't know driving scared you?" Tess says, turning to her twin in disbelief.
"Hell yeah, it does! Especially at night or when I'm alone. You're not alone in this, Bear."
"I still get scared driving on the freeway," Carol pipes up from the backseat. She'd remind quiet up until then, letting her daughters talk and work Tess' problem out together in a way only they could. "So, don't worry, honey."
"Thanks," Tess smiles. "I think I'm ready to try again."
"That's what I like to hear!" Kate cheers, putting on her seatbelt. "Let's get it, baby."
They'd pulled over on a street in the neighborhood near their old elementary school and when Tess starts the car and begins driving again, she takes them by the school and down a hill that leads right to an intersection of the neighborhood and a larger street.
"You got this. Don't worry about them. You do you, boo boo," Kate encourages.
"Okay," Tess says, taking the turn onto the street.
"See? You're doing it!"
Tess was still gripping the wheel hard, but she agreed that she was driving really well so far. They continue down the street, other cars rushing past them, but Tess kept going at her own pace, not worrying about the other people.
"Do you want to get to Remy's? Get a milkshake?" Tess asks.
"I'm in!" Kate cheers. "Mom? Is that okay?"
"I could go for a milkshake," Carol shugs.
"Okay," Tess says. And with skill no one in the car knew she possessed, Tess checks her mirrors and changes lanes to turn towards their favorite restaurant.
"Look at you! You're doing great," Kate compliments.
Tess smiles wide and lets out a laughing sigh.
Four days later, Tess passes her driving test and happily sends her twin a picture of her new license.
[][]
Three months later…
"Girls? Who wants to go to the store for me? I need something for dinner." Doug calls across the kitchen and into the living room where his older daughters were lounging on the couch.
Identical heads of brown, curly hair pop up and turn towards him, eyes wide.
"I will!" Both twins shout, jumping up and running for his keys.
"No, you went last time! It's my turn!" Kate says to her sister.
"No: you went last time. It's my turn." Tess rebuts.
"You picked up Addy from dance last night, so I get to go today," Kate argues.
"No, mom and I picked her up, so it doesn't count."
"It totally counts! Dad, tell her it counts!"
"I mean, if we're being technical," Doug starts, waving a hand, "Mom was with her so-"
"Ugh! She doesn't even like to drive! How come she gets to go all the time?" Kate shouts, thrusting a hand at her twin.
"Why don't you both go? One of you can drive there and the other can drive home," Doug suggests, mostly to get his kids to stop yelling and fighting.
"Fine," Kate agrees.
"Fine," Tess nods, grabbing the keys off the hook by the garage door.
A few minutes later, with coats and shoes on, the twins leave with Tess in the driver's seat.