Poppy pulled up to the SAAQ fifteen minutes early with Gregor's dad in the passenger seat. She took a deep breath, her scarred palms growing sweaty. She's been been driving for so long, why was she so scared?
Maybe because her entire freedom was on the line.
If she failed this test, her whole world would come crashing down on her. More bruises. More scars. More sleepless nights. Just the thought of it made her chest feel like it was getting compressed in the vacuum of space.
"You nervous?" Daniel asked after a few minutes of silence.
Poppy jumped at the deep sound of Daniel's voice. It's not my father, she told herself. Still, her face was paled and her palms were clammy when she looked over at him and silently nodded.
Gregor's dad sighed, acknowledging Poppy's fear of anyone even remotely like her father. Still, it hurt when she jumped like that. "I've been helping you build this car for two years, I would think that you would stop jumping at the sound of my voice," he said looking out the window at the other cars parked next to them.
"I'm sorry," Poppy said in a quiet voice. "I didn't mean it," she paused. "You know I'm incredibly thankful for your help," her eyes pleading for forgiveness at least one last time.
The silence that stayed in the car made her stomach feel like it was flipping over. She really was thankful. If Poppy passed her driving test today, she would need a car to leave in. Daniel helped her create the most vital thing to her escape.
"I know," Daniel said, looking over at her again, letting Poppy relax again. Or relax as much as she could considering the circumstances
Despite everything, Daniel knew that a fear that ran that deep couldn't just disappear overnight. "You're very pale," he remarked after a moment.
Poppy looked at him. "I'm really- I'm just-" she paused to gather her thoughts. "I really can't afford to fail this," she looked up, her bright eyes glinting in the sunlight that poured in through the windshield. "I need to get out of here and this is my one chance. I can't mess it up," she finished, very determined.
Daniel could see- feel the desperation in her. Always had. "You'll be fine," he said and Poppy could tell that he really meant it.
She took a deep breath, unbuckled her seatbelt and hopped out of the car, heading towards the building that would either grant or deny her freedom.
YOU ARE READING
Road Trip
Teen FictionAfter years of yearning for it, Poppy finally obtains her driver's license. And her freedom. She plans to leave as soon as possible in her car that she took two years to build with the help of her best friend Gregor's mechanic dad. Away from her hor...
