White Teeth Teens

15. The Driving Test

I have trouble sleeping the next night and almost forget about my driving test early the next morning. Mom rubs her tired eyes as I drive us to the DMV.

"You know, I pictured taking the three of you together to your test. It's strange. It's like I only have one sixteen year old." Mom says. I don't respond. This isn't how I imagined the day going either. Mom and Dad took away all of Logan's privileges for a month, including the driving test.

We wait in line at the DMV for twenty minutes. Colin's asleep in his stroller. It must be nice being a baby—having a mattress wherever you go. Once we get through the line, we wait another twenty minutes for my name to get called. I play Candy Crush on my phone to occupy my mind but I can't stop sweating.

A fat man with white scruff and glasses comes out holding a clipboard. "Rory Myers?" He asks, scanning the crowd. Mom gives my hand a squeeze and I stand up.

"Ready?" he asks. He follows me outside to my car and we both get in.

"It's cold out today," I say as I adjust the rearview mirror.

"Hmph," he responds. "Go straight out of the parking lot."

I drive— hands at 11 o'clock and 1 o'clock—through the busy street up a hill. I meant to memorize the speed limits of the roads around the DMV but I forgot. I think this is 35 MPH but I go 30 just in case.

At the top of the hill, he tells me to go left and around a neighborhood. On the way back, a school bus stops to pick up kids going the other direction. I press on the break and wait until the school bus's stop sign folds back. 25 MPH feels like the car's shuffling. I've never driven this slowly, not even in driving school.

As we go back down the hill, we hit a stoplight on a multi-lane road. As the light turns green, the man grumbles "Okay, go back to the DMV."

I press on the gas and start driving. The DMV is right across the road.

"Wait, wait. You're in the wrong lane!"

"Oh, sorry." I start to merge but I forgot to check my rearview mirror and the car behind me honks loudly.

"Indicate!" The man demands.

I've got the car at an awkward angle, blocking my lane and half of the lane beside me.

"It's too late now. Just take this lane and turn left."

My hands are covered in sweat. He has me turn around into a parking lot and return to the DMV. When I park, he says, "You failed to read road signs, therefore I cannot let you pass, you'll have to come back in two weeks."

All I can do is nod because I'm in shock. I trudge back behind him into the building where Mom waits anxiously.

I lower my head when I see her standing there, rocking Colin's stroller. The man shows her his clipboard where he made an X in one of the boxes. Mom's slack jawed expression doesn't let up as she moves her eyes from the man to me and back to the man.

"Okay, can we schedule a re-test?" Mom asks.

The man puts up his hands, "Don't look at me, that's not my job."

Mom narrows her eyes. "Well, you don't have to be so rude about it." She shoves the stroller past him and pushes me forwards. "Let's go."

"He was so mean, Mom!" I whine once we get in the car. I curl myself into a ball and face the window.

"Rory, I know I said it was strange that I wasn't taking the three of you together for the test but you didn't have to go and fail because of that." Mom snickers.

"That's not funny!" This is literally the worst week ever. "Can I please stay home?"

Mom sighs. "Fine, but you're going to watch Colin because I need a nap."

After watching three episodes of 30 Rock to make me feel better, Colin's dead asleep in my arms. I carry him upstairs and place him lightly in his crib. His bedroom connects to Logan's bathroom. I stop to listen, making sure Mom's still napping, and then I creep into Logan's bedroom. It's not because I want to snoop, but when would I ever get the chance to see his room from the inside? He never lets anyone in.

Its pitch black from the closed shades so I switch on a lamp and the whole room lights up in yellow. His sheets are tousled on his bed and clothes are strewn about the floor. I sit down in the swivel chair at his desk and run my hand over a marble notebook. A loose page sticks out of it sideways but I can read the top. It says: "White Teeth Teens – Music Video Scene List"

I pull out the paper and run my eyes down the page.

 parking lot

 school

☐ party scene

 inside car

There's a twinge in my neck. His grounding must've messed up his "party scene" shoot. I hear Colin cry, so I put the paper back as I found it and turn off the lamp before running to give Colin his pacifier.

At dinner, Mom, Dad, Dean, Logan, and I eat Mom's homemade meatballs in silence. I pleaded with Mom to tell Dad that I failed so I didn't have to face him with the news. Every time we make eye contact, he gives me a solemn smile. Logan has barely said a word to me, or anyone else, since our tiff in my room on Sunday, and Dean is too busy scarfing down the pasta.

I hear a fork clank against a ceramic bowl. Red sauce splats onto my plate. "Wait!" Dean swallows. He points at me, "Didn't you have your driving test today?"

I shove spaghetti into my mouth and nod slowly.

"How's it feel?" Dean asks. I keep chewing until the spaghetti is mush in my mouth. Logan looks up from his food.

"I didn't pass," I whisper.

"You're screwing with me."

"Language!" Mom snaps.

Dean ignores her. "You seriously didn't pass?" Dean looks to Logan. "But you're a better driver than both of us. If you didn't pass, we're screwed!"

"In two weeks, you're all going to pass," Dad promises. "Let's not make a big deal out of this, for Rory's sake."

My eyes lock with Logan's. I assume he'll roll his eyes or smile gleefully but I can't read his expression. Does he feel bad for me? No, probably not. He probably won't ever feel bad for me again. He said it himself he wished he didn't come find me after the whole rumor incident.

I look down at my plate and try to enjoy the rest of my dinner.