Joyride

Chapter Five

After grabbing my maths textbook from my locker, I make my way to class only to remember I'll be seeing Ryan. I stand in the doorway, surveying the classroom. There's my usual seat at the front of the class, empty and waiting for me, and already in the seat next to mine sits Ryan.

He sees me straight away, looking up at me with wide expectant eyes, but I glance away and push past him to get to my usual seat, sitting down and spreading my textbooks across the table.

I can't help but feel self-conscious as the class starts. Ryan's presence is like a heavy heat warming my side. How have I never noticed him sitting there before? He seems impossible to miss today.

I twist in my chair to peek back at Stephanie and Laura, sitting at the table behind me. Stephanie raises her eyebrows at me, as if to say, told you so. I turn back to face the front, catching Ryan's gaze in the process. My face pinches as his face lights up and he leans over to whisper something.

'I want to apologise for the other day.'

Ignoring him, I watch the teacher writing problems on the board.

'It's just that I really like you, Billie. I think we get along really well.'

Either my hints are too subtle or he's just an oblivious idiot. My stomach churns. Whispering to me in class isn't exactly the same as a public proposal, but I still squirm in my seat as his breath grazes my cheek and neck. Is he really doing this now, in the middle of class? I just want to do my maths. My pen rips through the page I'm copying my notes on. 

Out of the corner of my eye, Stephanie and Laura lean in close. With those two for an audience, this might as well be another public proposal.

I continue my best efforts at ignoring Ryan, starting a new line of notes under the gash I just ripped. But Ryan's gaze still presses into my cheek like a hot iron brand. My teeth clench, but the feeling refuses to lessen. I shoot my most withering glare back at Ryan.

'I'm trying to do my classwork. I don't even really know you.'

Turning my full attention back to the whiteboard, I construct an imaginary wall between us in the hopes that it will keep out Ryan's persistent stares.

'Is it Ashton?' he asks, effectively shattering my wall to dust. I glance back at him again, too confused to shoot a glare in his direction.

'What? What about him?'

'Are you going out with him? Is that why you won't go out with me?'

I bark out a laugh, earning myself a stern reprimanding from the teacher. I straighten up, finally thankful for the teacher's intervention. Ryan doesn't speak to me for the rest of the lesson.

⦓✦⦔

That afternoon, I'm sitting in the driver's seat as Ashton flips open my logbook and scrawls out his fake name, Fred Gilmore. We're back in the quiet industrial area.

'Why are you using a fake name?' I can't help it, but my lips press together, pursed.

Ashton glances up from the book with a raised eyebrow. The sun has started its descent in the sky, casting the interior of the car in a warm golden glow. Ashton's skin seems iridescent. 

'Does it matter?' he counters. 'It'll stop the cops from coming after me if you get caught.'

I glare down at the logbook as he fills out the rest of the entry.

'Is that a fake licence number too?'

'Of course. That'd be even more conclusive evidence than my name.'

'It's illegal.'

Ashton snaps the logbook shut.

'This entire scheme we've cooked up is illegal, Billie. But illegal doesn't necessarily mean it's bad. You just want to learn how to drive. For now, you're driving up and down dead-quiet streets with no one around to endanger. It's okay.'

'But what if I get pulled over? What if they ask to go through my logbook?'

'They're not gonna do that. I've been driving around for two years and I've still never been pulled over by police, even for random breath tests. Cops have better things to do than hang around quiet areas like this looking to catch a single learner driver breaking a silly little rule. Especially not on a Friday night.'

My teeth gnaw at my bottom lip, which is holding up pretty well despite the number of times I've chewed on it.

'Just drive,' Ashton urges. 'Worry about it later.'

'But–'

'Just. Drive.'

Sighing, I reluctantly peel the car away from the kerb, driving the car around the block. My nerves continue to get the better of me and my driving. Something niggles at the back of my mind when I realise I haven't improved at all from my last driving lesson. But Ashton doesn't seem to mind, continuing to direct me with extreme patience. In particular, I struggle with right-hand turns, finding it difficult to gauge the distance and angle.

'Keep turning the wheel,' Ashton says, his voice calm. 'More.'

It's too late to keep turning the wheel. Instead of smoothly turning into the next street, the car veers near the far kerb. It doesn't scrape or hit the cement, but if I stopped the car here it could almost pass for a legal park.

'Sorry, this car used to have power steering but it's broken. Just keep taking it slow for now.'

Having not much knowledge of cars beyond their colours, I just shrug.

'What about your car?' Ashton continues. 'We should probably start using yours, it'd be a good idea to get you used to the car you'll be driving most of the time.'

'Uh, okay sure,' I flick on the blinker as I attempt another right-hand turn.

'Are you free this weekend? I can swing by tomorrow afternoon.'

I come up short again, scraping along the gutter and wincing apologetically

'Sorry.'

'It's okay,' Ashton chuckles. 'But from now on, let's use your car.'