Natalie Peterson was a beautiful, intelligent and athletic teenager, but she hated high school for all of the right reasons. When she's bored, she smokes pot in the ghost area with her best friend Tamara Woods who's bullied by Gina, the hot popular...
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I couldn't wait to see him. Tamara had been picking me up and taking me to school all last week and now finally I was going to see my boyfriend again. It sounded so weird to call him my boyfriend, but that's what he was and I couldn't wait to see him. Mom promised me she'd get me a car though, but I needed to pass my driver's license first, something I hadn't been able to do. I had already passed my written exam, but now I'd have to take the practical to complete my examination and then I'd be earning my license. However, I didn't have anyone to practice with, since Tamara, her mom and mine were so busy and now Brad was wounded, so I had to hire an instructor to teach me and I did. I hired Preston Smith.
"Hi Natalie. I'm so glad you called me. It'll be fifty bucks a class," he said. Preston was direct. He reminded me of Tamara.
"Okay, but I get the class first and then I pay you," I replied.
"Sure, no problem. Now, I think it's a good idea if we practice in a parking lot. So, get in and take me to a parking lot," he said.
"Are you serious? I don't even know how to drive."
"Well, then now is a good time," he said and he taught me about the clutch, the stick and the gas. Then he said I had to check my rearview mirrors and make my entire deck was clear.
It was strange to drive and scary all at once. Sometimes I stopped the car with full brakes on and Preston would freak out on me, but the way he did it was so calmed, that I knew that I had made a right decision to hire him as my driving instructor.
"You need to hit the breaks more gently. Doing it that rough will cause an accident and if you ruin my car, you're going to have to pay for it and I'm not refunding your classes," he said. Preston wasn't shy when it came to business apparently. He was a killer negotiator.
"Okay, okay. Sorry," I said and I drove again until I miraculously reached a parking lot. I drove there for almost an hour. I was taught to use the breaks and to drive, to go left, right and stop, to look at my rearview mirror and signal my turns.
"Not bad Natalie. We're going to do this a few times until you get the hang of it," he said.
"Cool. Thanks for taking the time to do this. I know you work at your father's sports store and everything."
"It's alright. I owe you one," he said. I frowned confused.
"You owe me one? I don't understand."
"Umm... your friend Tamara, she asked me to go to the Halloween dance with her."
"Seriously? Oh my God. I didn't think she would," I said. Preston smiled. He looked really nerdy, but in a nice way.
"Well she did and she told me that it was your idea," he replied.
"You're welcome."
"Still these classes aren't for free," he reminded me.
"I know," I replied. If my mom met Preston, she'd totally be swept off her feet with him. She'd force me to marry him. After an hour, my driving class was over and I went home. I practiced ball and then started to work on my English assignment. It was so stupid. I felt like if I was in elementary school. What did Mrs. Kransisky want, a poem?
