iDrive

Carly sat nervously in the car with Spencer. They were in the McDougal's parking lot Saturday afternoon, and it was around two forty-seven. She was anxiously awaiting Mr. Calderon and other students' arrival. It would be her first time driving an actual car (a chair from the kitchen table and a round pizza pan does not count), and while she was looking forward to it, the flip-flopping in her stomach that had started when she'd woken up just wouldn't stop. She wished Sam had stayed over last night so her girlfriend would have been there to comfort her this morning, but the text she'd sent to Sam after breakfast had been a decent substitute.

gm

good mornin cupcake

how r u

anxious

abt drving 2day?

yea

after we test drove last nite?

:(

kidding!

& i love you

ill wait 4 u at mcd & u can tell me all abt driving

ok?

ok :)

3 u Sam

3 u 2 carlygirl

now i gtg

need 2 get redy 2 drive

see u later!

see u later Sam

i love you too

Now she was very anxiously awaiting her girlfriend, hoping the car would roll into the parking lot at any moment. Wanting to take her mind off it, she turned to her brother.

"Sooo…you got any driving tips for me?" she asked. Spencer opened his mouth to reply, but then Carly interrupted him. "Wait, maybe I shouldn't be asking you, being Ten-Tester-Spencer and all."

After she'd confirmed with Mr. Calderon that yes, her brother had failed his road test ten times, which was a record none of his successive students had broken yet, he'd revealed the nickname the class had given to Spencer, which Carly, Sam, and Freddie found hilarious. Spencer, though, never hid his irritation whenever it was brought up, complaining about how that happened before they "were even potty-trained" and to "give it up already."

"Well, here's what "Ten-Tester-Spencer" has to say," he started with a slight glare, "just stay calm, listen to Mr. C., and you'll do fine. He's a chill guy, and you're a smart girl; I believe in you."

"Thanks, Spencer," Carly smiled up at her brother. He was always so supportive and loving. She was glad to have him and Sam as her closest family members. They really made her life so much better.

"You're welcome, Carly," he smiled back, then looked up as movement in the rearview mirror caught his eye. "Oh, look. They're back."

Carly turned to look out her own window and saw a very old car pull and stop crookedly a few parking spaces away. The driver's side and passenger's door both opened up, revealing one of Carly's classmates and Mr. Calderon.

"How did you know that was them?" she asked, looking back at her brother.

"'Cause that was the same car he used to teach us in," he explained.

"Oh. Well, that's nice." How freakin' old is this car?!

Then Sam stepped out, and Carly felt her heart soar. Sam looked so gorgeous. Her curly blonde hair, sparkling blue eyes, beautiful big smile, and well-built body. When they were just friends, she'd been jealous of the curves Sam possessed, but was now just very appreciative of them. Plus, she thought Sam's boyish dress style was super attractive. She always pulled it off so well, no matter what she was wearing. Like today; her outfit of vans, cut-off cargo pants, and layered shirts looked really nice on her. She sighed in contentment, checking out her girlfriend as Sam closed the car door behind her.

"I guess I'd better get out there," she said, turning to face Spencer. "I'm not sure what time we'll be done at, but I'll text you when we're finished."

"Sounds good," Spencer nodded. "Does Sam need a ride home?"

"No," Carly shook her head. "She's gonna hang out here and wait for me, I guess. Later you can pick us both up."

"Got it. Well, see ya later, kiddo. Have fun!"

"Bye, Spencer."

Carly opened the door and got out, closing it behind her and throwing one last wave to her brother before walking over to greet Sam, who noticed her approaching and immediately perked up at the sight, a huge smile appearing across her face as Carly came up to her.

"Hey, Carly," she said.

"Hey," Carly replied, putting one hand on Sam's shoulder and placing a small peck on her lips in greeting. "How was driving?"

"Really good. I was definitely way better than all these other nubs," she said, jerking her thumb in the direction of the other kids.

"Oh, really?" Carly asked, raising one eyebrow up.

"Mhm," Sam confirmed. "Get this, when Gina Owens went to make her first right turn, she put the car, like, halfway up on the curb!"

"Huh?" Carly asked, already feeling a slow panic rise up within herself.

"Yeah, we almost got stuck. Mr. Calderon had to actually get in the driver's seat and back us up. He didn't let Gina drive much longer after that."

"Mmm," was her only response. Inside, Carly was freaking out. What if I go up on the curb the first time I ever make a right turn?! What if we go right onto the sidewalk or someone's lawn?!

"Look, Mr. Calderon's talking to her right now," Sam pointed out, pointing her finger over by the car. There Mr. Calderon stood, a very serious expression on his face, arms crossed as he talked to Gina, who looked to be on the verge of tears.

"He's probably chewin' her out right…oh, I guess they're down now," she said, as Gina began to away. Wendy, who was one of the 'U' through 'O' kids that drove today, had been standing nearby the two during their conversation, seemingly to eavesdrop. Sam noticed that and called her over.

"Hey, Wendy!"

She whirled around to face them.

"Over here!" she said, waving her over with her arm.

Wendy quickly walked over, joining Carly and Sam in their conversation.

"So, what'd he say?" Sam asked.

"What'd who say?" Wendy questioned back.

"C'mon, we know you're standing there just to listen in on them! What'd Mr. C. tell Gina? Is she getting kicked out of class?"

Kicked out? Carly thought. That seems a little drastic for one screw-up.

"Well, not yet," Wendy said, leaning in close and talking in a low voice. "But, Mr. Calderon did tell her that if she drives like that again, she's out. Said he can't have her damaging his car like that."

"No way!" Sam said, a huge amused grin on her face. Carly didn't find it so funny.

"Yeah, way! She looked like she was about to cry, did you see it?!"

"That's so-"

"Uh, Wendy, I think your dad's here!" Carly interrupted.

"Huh? Really?" Wendy asked, looking around the parking lot. "Oh, yeah, there is!" she said, pointing to a blue jeep in the corner. "Thanks Carly. Good luck with your driving. Oh, and Sam, you did pretty great today behind the wheel. Later!"

Carly and Sam watched Wendy run to her dad's vehicle. Honestly, Carly hadn't even known that was his jeep, or that Wendy's dad would be picking her up. She'd just wanted the conversation to stop. Carly turned away from Wendy's retreating form to look at Sam, who had a confident smirk on her face.

"What?" Carly asked.

"Wendy said I was a great driver."

"Well, that's nice of her."

"You don't have anything to add? Like, agreeing that I'm good at driving?"

"No," Carly said. "I've never seen you drive, so I wouldn't be able to comment on it."

Before Sam could respond, though, Mr. Calderon was calling over everyone who had a three o'clock driving time, beckoning them to get in the car.

"Well, I gotta go," Carly said, leaning in for a good-luck kiss that Sam happily gave. "Oh, before I forget, here's a twenty," she said, pulling the bill out of her pocket and giving it to Sam.

"What's this for?" she asked.

"If you're gonna be here for a couple of hours, I know you'll get hungry," Carly explained.

"Shay! Hurry up!" Mr. Calderon yelled to her from across the lot. Carly's eyes widened in fear; making the instructor mad the first day of driving didn't seem like the wisest move.

"Bye, Sam," she said, turning to walk away.

"See ya, Carly. You're gonna kill it!" she waved back, heading over to the building's doors, probably to order a Big Doug with fries.

Carly quickly went and joined the kids gathered around their teacher, an apology at the tip of her tongue that she was just about to say when Mr. Calderon began talking to her.

"You're up first, Carly," he said, a huge smile on his face.

"Huh?"

"None of them wanted to go," he said, gesturing to the kids surrounding them, "so it looks like you'll be first."

"What?!" she cried. "But…but why me?!"

"You got here last," he said with a shrug. "Shouldn't've been chatting it up with your girly friend."

A few of the kids snickered, and Carly felt a slight blush forming across her face. Mr. Calderon didn't seem to notice, though, as he clapped his hands together and began ushering the kids into the car.

"Well, c'mon people, let's get this show on the road. Shay, you're in the driver's seat."

How is this fair?! Carly thought to herself as she dejectedly opened the driver's door, slowly sat down, and buckled up. The other three kids filed into the back, sitting packed together like sardines. Mr. Calderon slipped into the passenger's seat and closed the door behind him.

"Here's the keys," he said, handing them to her as he buckled up. Carly nervously accepted them and just sat there, waiting for instruction.

"Now, put that one…yeah, that one, put it in the ignition. Okay, now turn it forward. But keep your foot on the brake. No, no, that's the gas! Yeah, the other one."

The car roared to life when it started, everything lighting up as the engine began running.

"Good," Mr. Calderon said with a nod. "Now, before we begin," he started, leaning in close to only Carly would hear what he had to say. "I can tell that you're nervous. That's okay; everyone's nervous their first time driving. Well, except for your friend Puckett there. She's the exception. But, anyways, it'll be alright. I'm serious. Whatever happens, at least you won't be as bad as your brother, right?"

Carly smiled at him and nodded. "Yeah, it'd be pretty tough to be worse than Spencer," she agreed. Mr. Calderon was perfect for teaching driver's ed. He was always so nice to the students. His words put her at ease, and she relaxed in the seat, waiting for him to tell her what to do.

"Exactly," he said, sitting up. "Everyone, I want you to pay really good attention, okay? The benefit of being the first to go is I go the easiest on you. Everyone after gets a little bit less leniency, as you should all be making note of what the first driver is doing wrong, and avoiding that when it's your own turn. Alright?"

Carly thought that sounded fair enough. She was actually kind of glad she was going first now. Plus, it got it out of the way. If she was last, she'd be just a huge bundle of anxiety by the time she was up.

"Good. And here's another thing, too. No funny business back there, alright? No talking, laughing, shouting; none of it. The driver needs to concentrate, so unless you'd like to get into an accident and make me fill out a ton of paperwork, just please keep your mouths shut."

He turned to look at Carly once again. "Okay, Carly. Now, before you back up, or really move at all while driving a vehicle, make sure to check your mirrors. Can you see out them, and can you see anything coming?"

Carly looked at the side mirrors outside the car, then rearview mirror and, seeing nothing, shook her head no.

"Good, good," Mr. C. nodded approvingly. "Now just place your foot on the brake, put one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the gear selector lever, and put it in reverse."

She nodded, and gently put her foot back on the pedal (the correct one this time) as she kept a tight grip on the steering wheel while selecting the 'R' gear.

"Then let off the brake and turn the wheel slightly. You shouldn't need to use the gas, the vehicle'll just move on its own."

Ever so slowly, she retracted her foot, and the car steadily began moving backwards as Carly kept incrementally moving the wheel, backing up smoothly. When it looked like they had enough room to maneuver, she put her foot back on the brake.

"Nice backing up, Carly," Mr. Calderon nodded approvingly. "You're off to a good start. Now, put the car in drive, and head to the driveway. Keep on the lookout for traffic, though. Parking lots are like free-for-alls, so you always have to be very aware while in them."

Carly put the gear selector on the 'D' setting then checked all around her, watching for cars or people. When she saw it was clear, she put her foot on the gas to go forward.

"Yikes!" Mr. Calderon cried, putting his foot down on his own brake to stop the car after it lurched forward. "Little too much juice on that one, Shay. Tone it down next time, alright."

Carly nodded, feeling slightly embarrassed and hoping Sam hadn't been looking out the window to see that happen. Not wanting to repeat her mistake, she tapped her foot to the pedal cautiously, barely touching it.

"Maybe a little bit more pressure, huh?" Mr. C. suggested. Carly put her foot down just a tiny bit more, giving them just enough power to make it to the parking lot entrance, at which point she just about slammed on the brakes.

"Okay, when you're just going short distances, it's unnecessary to hit the breaks that hard, alright?" She nodded. "Good. Now, put your right signal on." She did, effortlessly. "And make sure there's no cars coming or no pedestrians or other things impeding the way. When it's safe, slowly pull out onto the street."

Trying to show she was learning as much as possible, Carly carefully put her foot on the gas after scoping out the street and seeing nothing in the way. Slowly, smoothly, they left the McDougal's parking lot and started driving down the street.

"Good job, Carly. Now, do you remember the speed limit in residential areas?"

"Twenty-five," she answered, trying to maintain a consistent speed with just her foot. Oh my God, I'm driving! I'm really driving!

"That's right. So just keep that in mind while driving."

Mr. Calderon had picked for them to meet at a McDougal's located in a residential area. That was the easiest driving to start students out with, as the speed limit was low and the roads were predictable.

"See that stop sign up ahead? You can just let off the gas and coast before you need to break. The greater the speed limit is, the sooner you should do that."

Carly let her foot off and let the car coast before putting her foot down on the brake and bringing them to an abrupt stop. Not as bad as last time, though.

"Whew!" Mr. Calderon said. "Your brother might have to replace the car brakes a few times once you get behind the wheel."

She didn't respond to this and just waited for Mr. Calderon to say what was next.

"Okay, just make sure there's no traffic coming and go straight. And always continue to look both ways as you go through intersections. You never know if some crazy is gonna come out of nowhere and slam into you."

Thinking of last night and Sam's antics, she did just that, continually looking both ways as they went through the intersection before again focusing on maintaining that twenty-five miles per hour speed. It was tough; she hoped she'd get the hang of it soon.

As they approached another stop sign, she let off the gas much sooner and braked considerably better this time, in her opinion. Mr. Calderon must have thought the same way as well, since he made no comment.

"Go straight again," was all he said.

They did that for about three more stop signs before he decided Carly was ready for a right turn.

"You did really well leaving McDougal's earlier, so just try to copy that, okay? Not too much gas, you wanna be going around fifteen during turns. And don't jerk the wheel all at once, either. You do that, and we end up on the curb."

Like Gina Owens.

"Don't be too loose on the wheel either, though, because then we'll go into the other lane into oncoming traffic. So unless you want a head-on collision, try to aim for our lane. As always, make sure there's nothing in the way first."

After making sure everything was clear, Carly eased her foot on the gas and carefully steered the car, directing smoothly into the right lane of the next street.

"Good job! See that, kids? That's how you do a right turn," Mr. Calderon praised her. Carly smiled proudly. Now she wished her and Sam had driven together today; she wanted Sam's encouragement, too.

Once she made around five more right turns, Mr. Calderon coached Carly on how to make the dreaded left turn.

"These are a bit more tricky, but you've done great with everything so far, so I'm sure you'll be fine here."

Carly nodded, feeling very accomplished with herself.

"Just like with right turns, aim for that fifteen-mile mark. But remember, you do not want to go into the other lane. Even if there's not a car there, you'll keep doing that motion each time you turn, so the next time you make a left turn and there is a car there, it won't be pretty. Just try not to go over the middle yellow line, alright? But also, don't turn too widely and end up on the curb."

"Got it," Carly said.

"Alright, kid. Whenever it's clear, go."

Seeing no oncoming traffic, people, or animals, Carly timidly pressed her foot to the gas and began turning, trying her best to avoid the opposing lane. It would be tragic to get used to cutting turns too soon.

Ever so carefully, she eased the car onto the next street, moving the steering wheel slightly so they would end up in the correct lane. Once the back fender of the car was securely on the next street, Carly breathed a sigh of relief as she began driving down the road.

"Nice work! Now let's do about six more."

As she did each left turn, Carly got more and more comfortable with them, and soon was left-turning with the best of them. Mr. Calderon's last instructions were, at each of the next three stop signs, go straight, right turn, then left. She did each with ease, beaming the whole time.

"You did great today, Shay. Are you sure Spencer is really your brother?"

"Hehe, 'Ten-Tester-Spencer'," someone muttered in the backseat, causing the others to laugh quietly. Mr. Calderon didn't seem to notice, and Carly just brushed it off. She was so pleased with herself, nothing could ruin her good mood.

"Alright, just pull up to the curb here, put the car in park, and we'll switch off. How far away should you park from the curb?"

"Uh…no more than twelve inches."

"Correct. And from a stop sign?"

"Thirty feet."

"Right," he said with a nod.

Carly carefully pulled the car up against the curb, not getting too close but not straying too far either, avoiding the nearest stop sign as she pushed the brake and put the car in park.

"Excellent driving today, Carly. I think we have the making of a great driver here. Alright, who's next?"

After switching places with a kid in the backseat, Carly buckled up and leaned her head against the window, not paying any attention at all to what Mr. Calderon was saying. She'd already driven, and really well, too, so why should she? She wondered during the whole time that Zeke Underhill drove if Sam had done as well as she had. Or maybe she should be thinking had Sam done as well as her. She couldn't wait to ask.

Once Zeke, Bobby, and Nicole Ryder had all driven, they headed back to McDougal's, where Sam was standing outside, waiting. Carly couldn't help the heart eyes she knew she was making the second she saw Sam. She just about jumped out of the car the second Bobby put it in park.

"Hey, Carls," Sam greeted her the moment Carly opened the door and her foot touched the pavement. She noticed the bright smile on the other girl's face. "You look awfully happy."

"That's because I am," Carly replied, walking over to Sam in about two steps and immediately capturing her lips in a long, heated kiss. She just felt so good right now, and wanted to share with Sam. In a way she knew her girlfriend would appreciate.

Pulling away to get some air, Sam looked up in awe at her girlfriend, panting slightly.

"You drove really well, then?" she guessed. Carly grinned from ear to ear and nodded.

"Yep. Mr. Calderon was very impressed."

"That's awesome, Cupcake," Sam replied. "I didn't know you had it in you."

Carly just rolled her eyes good-naturedly and grabbed her PearPhone out of her pocket, pulling it out to text Spencer to come get them. He quickly replied that he'd be there in ten. Around them, the other kids had already dispersed, with one getting into a car, another walking away, and the last one had gone inside. The kids who had the last drive time of the day were all headed over to Mr. Calderon, who was standing beside his car waiting for them.

"How'd you entertain yourself while I was gone?" Carly asked, putting her phone back in her pocket and looking at Sam.

"I ate," she replied. "A lot. That twenty went really far by just sticking to the dollar menu."

"Well, good. I'm glad you weren't bored to death."

"Yeah. You know what was really nice to watch, though, was when you peeled outta the parking lot," Sam said with a teasing grin.

"What?! I wasn't even going fifteen when we left!"

"I know, but right before that. It looked like Mr. C. had to slam on the breaks."

Carly crossed her arms defensively. "Well, whatever. I'm sure he had to hit the breaks with you a few times, too," she said indignantly.

"Oh, contraire," Sam replied, wagging one finger. "He didn't have to even touch the brakes at all, and said that I was the first person he hadn't done that with all day."

"Well, whatever. You drove at noon. So what?"

"So, you were the first person that made him use the brakes."

"Are you trying to rob me of my happy moment?" Carly accused.

"Not at all," Sam shook her head. "I'm really glad that you did great driving. But you should believe me when I say I'm good, too."

Before Carly could respond, though, Spencer drove into the parking lot, stopping right in front of the girls. Carly and Sam exchanged confused glances, staring at him oddly.

"I thought he'd be here in ten minutes," Sam said.

"So did I," Carly replied.

"But it hasn't even been five yet."

Before Carly could reply, Spencer called the two over.

"Hey, guys, get in!" Spencer beckoned, rolling down the window. Puzzled, Carly and Sam both slid into the backseat, (as there was a box in the front) buckling up next to each other.

"How was the driving?" he asked.

"Fine, but why are you here?" Carly asked.

"Yeah. We thought you wouldn't get here until later," Sam added.

"I was actually at that donut shop, Amazing Glaze, which isn't too far from here, as it turns out. I punched this McDougal's into my GPS and it gave me a super-quick shortcut! Oh, and I brought donuts," he said, holding up the box. "Who wants one?"
"Me!" Sam cried, practically ripping the package from Spencer's hands. Opening it up, she found a nice assortment, from glazed all the way to chocolate frosted and Snoreo-topped. Not being able to decide, she closed her eyes as she reached in to grab one at random.

"Oh, by the way," Spencer said, making Carly and Sam turn their attention back to him. "Grandad called me while I was at Amazing Glaze, and I told him that you were driving today and you started taking driver's training. He said that he was super proud, and that he'll buy you your first car when you pass your road test!"

Carly's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?!" she asked.

"Uh-huh!" Spencer confirmed. "So study up and pass your road test, 'cause then you'll be ridin' around in your very. Own. Car!"

"Oh my God!" she cried excitedly. "Ya hear that, Sam?!" she asked, turning to her excitedly.

"Yep," Sam said, smiling slightly. Suddenly, she didn't feel so hungry for the donuts. Sam was happy for Carly, she really was, but…she'd be lying if she said she wasn't more than a little jealous. Sam's own family didn't really have a lot of extra funds laying around, so even if she passed her road test and got her license, it wasn't like she'd always have a vehicle to drive. Her mom was notoriously bad with them; first her truck had caught on fire right out in the school parking lot, then she'd loaned her car out to some fisherman. Even when she did have some wheels, Mrs. Puckett was almost never at home, always out and about on the town with some boyfriend, taking whatever vehicle she had at the time with her.

Carly saw the dejected look on Sam's face and immediately wanted to comfort her. She hadn't wanted to make Sam feel bad.

"Um, Spencer, we can head home now," she said to her brother, knowing Sam wouldn't want him to see her sad. He nodded and turned around, putting the vehicle in reverse as they began the drive back to Bushwell.

"Hey, cheer up," she tried to soothe quietly. "Maybe someday, we'll buy our own car together."

Sam raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Us? Buy a car? Together?" She didn't think that was likely, seeing as how her and Carly had such different styles and tastes.

"Hey, it could happen," Carly said with a shrug.

"Yeah, in some alternate universe, maybe," Sam replied.

"Well, any alternate universe where I share something with you sounds great," Carly murmured into Sam's ear, scooting closer to her girlfriend while pulling Sam next to her. She gladly laid against Carly, resting her head on the other girl's shoulder while Carly's arm wrapped around her. It felt safe and comfortable. Like it always did when she was with Carly.

"And anyway, like I said before, I'll just drive you anywhere you need to go."

"Thanks, kid," Sam said. "Even though it'll end up being the other way around, that means a lot to me."

"Yeah, yeah," Carly dismissed, absolutely convinced she'd be the one toting Sam everywhere. "So, do you feel any better?"

"A little," Sam admitted.

"Just a little? Is there anything I can do to make it more than that?"

"Oh, yeah," Sam said with a grin, which Carly couldn't see because they were both facing forward. "There's a few things."

"Like what?" she asked innocently.

Sam sat up and whispered into Carly's ear, putting her hand up as a barrier.

Carly felt her face growing hot as she listened to all the things Sam listed off, suddenly wanting to be home right that moment instead of the backseat of a car her brother was driving.

"Any chance you'd be willing to do any of that? Y'know, to improve my emotional state," Sam said in a low voice, pulling away from Carly's ear.

"Um, yeah," she said subdudly. "Maybe one or two."

"Excellent," Sam said, a satisfied smile on her face as she sat back, hands laced behind her head. "I can feel my mood uplifting already."

"Me, too," Carly mumbled. She couldn't wait until they got home.

No matter how many times I edit it, the doc will not let me keep the "less-than" sign in the text to make a heart. It bugs me and is annoying but there's nothing I can do. Please don't hate me for it. Besides that, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.