Page 30 of Scoring Chances

“I am.”

“No, you’re not,” I say calmly.

The tires screech as the clutch catches and we rock up the hill.

“There you go. You’re getting it now.”

“This isn’t drifting, Joshua.”

“No, it’s not. And we won’t be drifting until you know how to drive a stick shift up a hill.”

She rolls her eyes and continues to inch up the hill. Her hand holding onto the stick shift like her life depends on it.

“Ease up,” I say. I slip my hand over hers and her eyes flick over to me.

“What are you doing?”

“Let it go.”

“No,” she shakes her head in a panic.

“You’re holding it like you’re trying to choke the car.”

“I might be trying. Let’s be real,” she cries out. “I hate this. How did I let you convince me this was a good idea.”

We keep bouncing as the car struggles to the top.

“We’re almost there.”

She growls out her frustration, and it’s the funniest noise I’ve ever heard.

“Are you laughing at me?” she asks.

“Did you just growl?”

“Maybe! This is a little stressful, if you can’t tell. I thought we’d be doing fun donuts in some nearby parking lot.”

“Donuts are like lesson number four. We have to start with the basics.”

She growls again just as we make it to the top.

“Phew. Ok, now what?”

“Now, I take over. Stop the car.”

“What?” She stops the car and puts it in neutral, pulling the e-brake.

We switch sides and I slip into her driver’s seat.

We slam the doors at the same time. “Now for some fun.”

I slam into first and glide down the road. She squeals with laughter as the g-forces hit us. We hit a corner at high speed and I shift down and pull the e-brake up making the car shift sideways.

“Ohmigawd!” she screams out.

We’re both laughing hysterically and she’s holding onto the side of the door as if she’s about to fall out of the vehicle at any point.

“You’re crazy,” she says to me.