Author's Note: Before we begin, I'd like to address a comment by a certain guest commentor. They suggested that I use "Sprig vs Hop Pop". I see your point and I may use it. What do the rest of you readers think? If so, then it's going to have to be next, so I have one week to decide and write the next chapter. If not that, then the next one will be "Dating Season".

Well, that's about it. Enjoy the chapter. Any and all comments are welcome.

This beautiful day lead to a peaceful drive on the Plantar family snail, Bessie. Hop Pop sighed happily gripping the reins while all the kids—frog and human—sat beside him.

"Ah. A leisurely outing with Bessie." Hop Pop admired. "Why, we could go anywhere. Do anything."

"Ooh, ooh! Can we get Swamp Slushies?" Sprig asked. "They have new flavors!"

"Nope." Hop Pop replied.

"Can we go off-road? Do some crazy stunts?" Polly asked.

"Double no."

"Can I drive?" Anne suggested.

"Sure."

"Aw, come on, Hop Pop." Anne said before realizing what his answer was. "Wait, really?"

"Absolutely. I've been trying to teach Sprig for years."

"It's true." Sprig agreed.

"You're really okay with us learning how to drive Bessie, Hop Pop?" T'Challa asked.

"Driving Bessie requires a couple basic requirements, and I do believe that you and Anne have those things." Hop Pop said.

"All right!" Anne celebrated. "I call first dibs on the reins. I'm ready to drive!"

Instead of the reins, Hop Pop gave Anne and T'Challa a very large book as soon as they returned home. It had a snail on the cover and the words "Bessie's History" above it.

"Not before reading this, you ain't." Hop Pop asked.

"What is this?" T'Challa asked.

"This is Bessie's history." Hop Pop answered. "Before touching a snail's reins, you gotta know them. Feel their heartbeat next to yours and become one."

"Hop Pop, it's just a vehicle." Anne said. "We had a family car back home. It's no biggie."

"Anne, this isn't a car. It's a snail." T'Challa said. "As in, it's a living, breathing creature. We should give Hop Pop's way a chance."

"That's the spirit. Remember, you can't drive Bessie unless you read this cover to cover." Hop Pop said.

"Are there pictures?" Anne asked.

"There are diagrams." Hop Pop replied happily.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"Dramatic much?" T'Challa asked.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, Polly's due for a wash." Hop Pop said before scooping Polly out of the mud puddle she was playing in.

"NO! NO! WAIT! NO! I'LL JUST GET DIRTY AGAIN! YOU CAN'T STOP ME! I LEARNED THIS FROM WATCHING YOU, ANNE!" Polly protested loudly before being carried back into the house.

"T'Challa, do you really want to do this?" Anne asked.

"Come on, Anne. So we have to read one book. It's not that big of a deal." T'Challa said picking up the book. "Do you how many times I've had to read stuff back at Wakanda? This is a piece of cake." He opened the book and looked inside before slamming it back shut after a few moments. "Never mind. This is worse."

"Yeah. Page five is as far as I got." Sprig said. "Too much description. Not enough plot."

"Well, you tried it Hop Pop's way, T'Challa." Anne said before hopping up on Bessie's saddle. "Turns out, we don't need history. We need experience. So what do you say we take a harmless test drive? Prove to Hop Pop we're fast learners."

"Hmm… So it's either go around town with Bessie or read a whole page about leaf colors." T'Challa said. "Well, I guess if I don't have to read that boring book."

"Sweet. What about you, Sprig?" Anne asked.

Sprig thought for a moment. "Do you get the feeling this is one of those decisions we'll look back on and say 'Ooh, boy, we probably shouldn't have done that'?"

"We'll get Swamp Slushies while we're out." Anne offered in a sing-song tone.

"NO REGRETS!"

And just like that, the unauthorized "test drive" had begun. These three kids had no idea that they were in for another misadventure.

Mrs. Croaker was having a peaceful drive on the back of her giant ladybug with her pet spider, Archie, beside her. Suddenly, Bessie drive past her leaving a dust cloud for her to cough in. And in addition, Sprig bent down and smacked his bottom to her.

"Out of the way, slowpoke!" Sprig shouted.

"Hooligans! Ruffians! Swamp suckers!" Mrs. Croaker yelled out in response.

"Whoa, Sprig," T'Challa said pulling the young frog to his seat, "Should you really be taunting the elderly?"

"Sorry. I've always wanted to try road rage."

"And the verdict?" Anne asked.

"Exhilarating!" Sprig replied.

"Live your truth!" Anne shouted. "What about you, T'Challa? How are you holding up?"

"Well, for some reason, this feels both right and wrong? Does that make sense?" T'Challa asked.

"Oh, yeah. That's pretty much a common feeling that teens get every other day." Anne said. "You'll get used to it."

One stop later, the kids got a cup of Swamp Slushies each. After a refreshing take, they were on their way to drive back to the house.

"You were right, Anne." Sprig said. "We didn't need to read some silly book. You drive just fine."

"I gotta admit, this is turning out better than I expected." T'Challa said.

"See? Told you we were naturals." Anne said.

"We?" T'Challa asked. "Anne, you've been hogging the reins all day. Let me have a turn."

"Okay. But on one condition." Anne said. "Take this baby off-road."

"Really?" T'Challa asked. "That seems a bit carried away. You sure."

"Off-road. Off-road. Off-road." Anne chanted before Sprig joined in.

"All right. All right." T'Challa said taking the reins. "Here we go!"

T'Challa thrusted the reins to his left leading Bessie into the forest. At top speed, Bessie raced through the thick trees until she jumped over the edge of a cliff. With the three kids holding on, she plummeted and fell safely on a downward slope. Until finally, Bessie landed in a clearing deep within the forest itself.

"What did you think, T'Challa?" Anne asked.

"That… was… fun." T'Challa replied with a smile. "Well, that's enough of that. How about we go back to on-roading?"

"Good, old, reliable on-roading. Yes, please." Sprig said.

"Okay then. Would you do the honors, your majesty?" Anne asked feigning regality.

"It would be my highest honors." T'Challa returned with the same tone. "Bessie, let's go home." He hit the reins, but something strange was happening. Bessie didn't move at all. "Bessie? You okay?"

"Uh, T'Challa?" Anne asked looking down at Bessie's front. Her head wasn't where it was supposed to be. It was tucked deep within her shell sputtering from within.

"Is she all right?" T'Challa asked as he got off the saddle with Anne and Sprig.

"I don't know. I don't think I've ever seen her like this." Sprig said.

"Does it need fuel in the tank or something?" Anne asked. "Is the oil low?"

"Again, Anne, it's not a car." T'Challa said.

"Well… maybe we can push her?" Anne asked.

"Worth a shot." Sprig said.

The three stood behind Bessie's shell and planted their hands on it. They shoved with all their might, but she still didn't budge.

"Okay. She is way too heavy." Anne said breathing heavily. "Also, I'm crazy out of shape."

"What about you, T'Challa?" Sprig asked. "Don't you have like panther strength or something?"

"I tried using it. Bessie's tougher than she looks. Now what?"

"We have no choice." Anne said. "T'Challa, you can stay here with me and Bessie. Sprig, you hitch a ride back to the farm and…" She sighed heavily. "Go get Hop Pop."

"Good idea. It's the right thing to do, even if we get an earful." Sprig said before hopping out of the clearing.

"Well, so much for my first ever drive." T'Challa lamented.

"Yeah. Sorry about that, dude." Anne said apologetically. "Right now, there's nothing we can do. So for now, let's just make the most of it. Still, it's going to get boring. How's about a conversation?"

"Sorry, Anne. I've got too much on my mind right now." T'Challa said.

Anne sighed. "Wish I had something to read." That's when she remembered the "Bessie's History" book that was still in the saddle bag. She stared at it for a second before giving in. "Fine. But just to pass the time."

"You're not going to like it, Anne." T'Challa warned.

"Well, I hate boredom even more." Anne said before pulling out the book and opening it up to the first page. She read from it aloud. "'It was an especially cold morning the day Bessie was brought into this world. The leaves had just changed color. And now, I shall describe those leaves to you in great detail…' Whoa! You were right, T'Challa. I've done summer reading projects that were better than this."

"Yeah." T'Challa agreed. He looked back at Anne and an idea lit up in his mind. "Tell you what. How about we take a look at it together? Sure, it would still be boring, but at least we can both comment on how boring it is."

Anne chuckled. "Yeah. I guess it would make this more fun."

T'Challa sat right next to Anne. Together, they alternated on reading the book aloud. Suddenly, what seemed boring didn't feel that way anymore.

As time passed, slowly, T'Challa and Anne became more invested in what they were reading. Once they looked past the long descriptions, they were able to see the heartwarming story behind Bessie, from the action-packed auction where Hop Pop bought her to the snowstorm where she helped him survive.

The part where Bessie was singing in the snowstorm had moved Anne to uncontrollable sobbing. Her tears dripped like a loose faucet onto the book's pages.

"You go, girl! You noble, noble creature!" Anne cried as she proceeded to hug Bessie's shell. "Man, this is messing me up."

"Let it out. It's justified." T'Challa said before proceeding to read the pages. Just then, something caught his eye. "Wait. Anne, I found something."

"Huh? What?" Anne asked wiping the tears out of her eyes.

"Right here. 'The reason Bessie had hidden in her shell was now very clear to me. A predator was close. And not just any predator. A natural enemy of snails.' Anne, you don't think…"

Just then, the two of them heard a sudden rustling sound just outside of the clearing. It was close rattling them both.

"Is there anything in there about the predator?" Anne asked.

"Uh… Oh. I found a diagram." T'Challa said. "It looks like some kind of hedgehog."

"A hedgehog?" Anne asked. "Those things are cute, right?"

Suddenly, the two of them yelled when their eyes were locked on a giant, green hedgehog monster that was monstrously ugly. It snarled at them with drool dripping from its mouth. Suddenly, more hedgehogs arrived surrounding the kids and the snail.

With no choice, Anne climbed up to the top of Bessie's shell while T'Challa put on his Black Panther outfit. Whenever a hedgehog got close, he would kick it or swing his claws at it to draw it away. But the closer the pack got, the more he realized it was only a temporary solution.

"Anne, keep reading!" T'Challa shouted. "If Hop Pop went through this before, maybe he wrote down how to get out!"

"Right! Of course!" Anne said opening up the book. "Oh! Here we go! 'When Bessie senses danger, you gotta sit on her shell and yell at the top of your lungs…' BESSIE, THINGS ARE GETTING MESSY!"

Suddenly, Bessie's head popped out of her shell and she raced out of the clearing instantly. Unfortunately, T'Challa got left behind, but thankfully, he jumped onto the trees and continued jumping in order to catch up with Anne and Bessie. He managed to land on her shell just behind Anne.

"Good find, Anne!" T'Challa yelled. He looked back and saw the hedgehog monsters chasing after them at the same speed as Bessie was.

During the chase, the hedgehogs shot sharp spines from their backs which nearly hit the kids. T'Challa took the book and read from it while Anne kept an eye on their pursuers.

"'If you still haven't escaped, give Bessie some berries from the secret compartment in the front of her shell.'" T'Challa read out loud. He opened up a small door at the shell's front, and although there were some organs inside, there was also a small pouch inside which he pulled out.

T'Challa picked out a handful of berries which he then threw in Bessie's mouth. After that, Bessie excreted a pink slime coming from the underside of her tail. Not only did it make her speed slicker, but it also caused the hedgehogs who ran into it to slip. Thanks to that, Bessie was able to return to the road and lose the hedgehogs.

"Way to go, Bessie!" Anne shouted hugging Bessie's head. "You are the queen of the road."

Bessie chirped and purred before continuing to drive away.

Sprig had the most unfortunate luck. The only driver who he could find was none other than Mrs. Croaker, the old frog who he mocked as they were driving earlier. Despite that, she seemed forgiving and was willing to help him return home. However, her ladybug had a very slow speed and her singing only made it seem a lot longer. Sprig was nearly driven crazy until two familiar voices called to him from the side.

"Hey, kid. Need a lift?" Anne asked.

"You seem like you could use one." T'Challa said.

"Anne! T'Challa! Thank goodness!" Sprig said hopping to hug them both. He turned back to his temporary driving partner and waved at her. "Okay, bye, Mrs. Croaker. Thank you."

"Bye, darlin'." Mrs. Croaker said. "Next time, try to keep that road rage in check." She laughed hysterically before whipping the reins on her ladybug. Just then, her ride showed its true speed as it drove down the street faster than the kids could process what just happened. They watched her leave with their jaws dropped.

"Pretty sure I just got played." Sprig said.

"Talk about Driving Miss Crazy." T'Challa added.

"That woman is everything I want to be." Anne commented.

As the sun set, Bessie had finally returned to the Plantar farm. Sprig looked inside the window.

"We made it. And it looks like Hop Pop's still washing Polly."

"So… we're not going to be in trouble?" T'Challa asked.

"Doesn't look like it." Anne said. "Besides, after everything we've been through, I'd say we learned our lesson."

"Fair enough."

"So you coming in?" Sprig asked.

Anne and T'Challa exchanged smiled before the former answered, "Actually, me and T'Challa are just going to spend a little more time with old Bessie here."

"Suit yourself." Sprig said as he entered the house.

"So what do you say, bud?" Anne asked waving the Bessie book toward him. "Wanna see if we can finish this thing before morning?"

"I'm all in." T'Challa said as he continued reading with Anne on top of Bessie's shell.

The next morning, Hop Pop got a very abrupt awakening when Anne dropped the Bessie book at him. He looked up at the humans and gasped seeing their very tired expressions.

"Good morning, Hopadiah." T'Challa greeted.

"Anne? T'Challa?" Hop Pop asked.

"We did it." Anne said. "T'Challa and I, we read the whole thing in one night."

"Technically, it was one day, but you get the point." T'Challa said.

"Impressive. Kinda scary, but impressive." Hop Pop said.

Anne and T'Challa both laid on a chair each that were right behind them.

"I was wrong about Bessie." Anne said. "She's not just a vehicle. She's a noble, beautiful creature."

"But you may want to have an editor look at that book." T'Challa said. "The very detailed descriptions lag the beginning a bit."

"I'll keep that in mind." Hop Pop said. "And now that you've read this book, all you need is experience."

Suddenly, both Anne and T'Challa's eyes widened. They both started with a small chuckle, which then grew into a soft cackle. After that, they let out a full, evil laughter between the two. They laughed like maniacs as they left the room.

Hop Pop was left alone sitting quietly in his bed. He was both confused and scared at their behavior in front of him. He sat silently for a moment before finally commenting on what he just witnessed.

"I don't feel safe."