Jake - italics and underlined
Bonus Chapter: 𝓦𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓕𝓾𝓬𝓴 𝓓𝓸 𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓣𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓴 𝓣𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓘𝓼, 𝓜𝓪𝓻𝓲𝓸 𝓚𝓪𝓻𝓽??
Saturday, February 5th
Venmo
Cory_W sent you $200
Gracie's bottom lip fell slightly ajar upon receiving the notification. She wanted to surprise him and his family by coming over earlier to help with cooking, but when she looked up from her phone screen and saw Cory leaning against the front door with his arms crossed, that hope was flushed down the toilet.
Gracie thanked the driver and, after entering the gate code, met Cory at the front porch. Her arms automatically wrapped around his neck and she left him a kiss on the cheek. "Good morning, baby! I know I'm early, but I wanted to help your mom cook for brunch."
Cory didn't respond with more than a scoff and a slight smile, but his eyes were trained on something behind them. The black Toyota Camry remained behind the gate with the driver peeking his head outside the window. He wasn't admiring the spectacular house like her other Uber drivers were when their cars lingered outside the property.
His eyes were checking Gracie out from behind. More specifically, the lower region. Cory narrowed his eyes at the man who immediately sat back down and started the engine. He tore his eyes away as the man drove away and returned his focus to Gracie whose lips were shaped like a frown.
"What is it?"
"I thought your parents were also coming."
"They are, but like I said, I wanted to come earlier to help your mom cook. Why?"
"I don't feel comfortable with you taking Ubers anymore."
Gracie was taken aback by his demanding tone as he draped an overprotective arm around her and led her inside. The smell of cinnamon and the sizzling of bacon briefly distracted her from the previous topic. She stepped into the spacious kitchen where Robert and Sydney were preparing french toast and scrambled eggs.
Once Sydney's eyes landed on her, a warm smile took over her face and she wrapped her in a tight embrace. Her hair was in a messy bun, she was in an Arizona Cardinal's hoodie and black leggings contradicting her usual designer dress and high heels.
"Morning Mrs. Walker. Can I help you with anything?
"Sweetheart, we have talked about this. I know you're trying to be polite, but calling me Mrs. Walker just makes me feel old."
"But you are though, so..." Cory joked, earning him a punch in the shoulder from his mom and a giggle from Gracie.
The french toast, bacon, eggs and biscuits were arranged on the dining room table with a vase of flowers in the center. The pilot episode of Friends was playing on the TV for background noise and the floor to ceiling windows in the living room were giving them a beautiful view of the late morning sun adding a sparkle to the backyard pool.
Cory and Gracie were currently in his old room on the second floor for alone time before her parents came. His room was nothing like Gracie expected; there was a king-sized bed with navy blue duvet covers, family photos scattered on top of his dresser, a ninety-inch flat screen TV was plastered on the wall and there were glass double doors leading to a balcony.
Photos of Cory in a football uniform, Arizona Cardinals flags, jerseys and framed newspapers with Cory on the front page touched the walls and there was not one article of clothing left neglected on the floor. It was spotless. His parents' always made sure that it was left that way for the next time he came to visit.
Cory was sitting at the edge of the bed with his eyes downcast while Gracie was still giving herself a tour of the room. He couldn't get the creeper out of his mind. Every time he saw Gracie's back, he'd be reminded of the image of the driver checking out her butt.
She told him all about how she felt like a burden to her parents, lacking the ability to drive herself to work and that was why she always took Ubers.
"Gracie."
She paused in front of the double doors and turned her attention to him. She couldn't help but notice the distress written across his features. Gracie took a seat next to Cory and held his hand in the space between them, their fingers interlocking.
Cory's muscles visibly relaxed and his lips managed to form a small smile once he looked into those chocolate brown eyes. "About earlier..."
Gracie had a feeling something happened with the Uber driver. She noticed that skeptical look clouding his eyes when he looked behind her and how his grip tightened around her waist as soon as she was close enough.
She didn't pay attention to how her drivers behaved behind her back. She simply noted that they had five stars and figured she'd be safe. Especially in the beginning of February where it wasn't one hundred and ten degrees and she'd have to wear exposing shorts and tops. Gracie was wearing an oversized hoodie with a cozy pair of leggings which looked innocent enough.
"I didn't mean to come off demanding or...controlling, but...that driver gave me a bad vibe earlier. I noticed him checking you out and I don't feel comfortable with you alone in a car with a stranger."
"I know, but...it's better than making my parents drive me every damn day to work. It's not fair for them. And just the thought of being behind the wheel scares the shit out of me. And—"
"I can drive you. I don't care how far it is. I just want to know you're safe. Besides, isn't it expensive to pay for Ubers all the time for half hour drives?"
Gracie sighed in defeat. She couldn't argue with that fact. She had to give the Ubers most of her paychecks, leaving her with barely any money for groceries, clothes or anything else for that matter. However, she didn't feel like she had a choice.
"Every time you tell me you're taking an Uber to my house, I have this fear that something terrible will happen to you." The more words that come out of his mouth, the more his eyes glisten with unshed tears.
The images of her in the backseat of a car with a perverted man lying on top of her, scared tears rushing down her face as an escape from watching his evil grin slither across his face, her screams for help and sobs unheard haunt him. He squeezed his eyes shut to release more tears. "I have this fear that a man would...h-h-hurt you, rape you." His voice cracked when trying to pronounce the 'r' word.
Gracie's eyes burned with hot tears welling up and she felt her lips quivering beneath her teeth. She pursed her lips together and looked up at the ceiling fan to avoid looking into his eyes.
"Or worse. Kidnap and rape you. So please, I'm begging you—"
Before her heart could bleed any more, she forced him into a tight embrace and let him sob into her hoodie. She felt his shoulders shake and heard him experience shortness of breath with all the sobs leaving his lips. She hated seeing him in this much pain and fear. She wanted to say something that would stop his tears.
"Would you do me the honor...of teaching me how to drive?"
A soft chuckle left his lips before he pulled away. Cory maintained a close proximity between them. Their foreheads and noses were touching and they were centimeters away from kissing. "I was hoping you'd ask."
-
Sunday, February 6th
"Are you ready, love?"
Her shaky hands gripped the steering wheel and she could feel her heart thumping wildly as she stared blankly at the empty parking lot in front of her. After the incident, Cory insisted on teaching her how to drive. They were in a beat-up, red Honda - the one that Robert taught Cory how to drive in.
Just the feeling of sitting behind the wheel made Gracie's heart drop to a bottomless pit and formed a painful lump that was sitting in her throat. The last time that her dad tried to teach her in their old neighborhood, he kept screaming at her to stop. She became that scared girl again.
"I guess so."
Cory put his hand on her thigh, rubbing it up and down in a soothing manner. "Don't stress. You're gonna do fine. This is just an empty parking lot, there are no cars around, you'll do great. Do you know how to work the gear shift?"
"...no?"
"God, we're fucked." Jake complained, holding onto the handle on the roof of the car for dear life.
They hadn't even started yet.
"You're the one who insisted on going with us, idiot."
"This is a part of my apology for putting hands on your girl. I figured, if I invite myself to hang out with you often enough, you'll remember why we're best friends. And it's working, right?"
Cory looked him up and down and with one shoulder, he shrugged. "Eh."
Jake let out a sigh as he looked into Cory's eyes. "Well, at least I can die knowing I tried."
"You're not gonna die so shut the fuck up." He shook his head at his friend and gripped Gracie's shaking hands, interlocking their fingers. "Gracie," Cory gestured toward the brake with his free hand. "When you're ready."
Gracie took deep breaths. Her dad's voice was echoing in her head, screaming, freaking out, saying that she'd never be able to drive. She always knew that she had to have a more patient teacher when learning to drive, but neither of her brothers nor her father would fit that criteria. Cory promised he would be. Who knew if he'd be able to keep that promise once she started the engine?
Gracie closed her eyes and took deep breaths. They were shaky, similar to how her hands were and she threw away the nerves that'd been keeping her frozen at this spot. She kept her main focus on the empty parking lot in front of her and pressed on the gas pedal a little too quickly than how she intended to.
Her heart leaped into her throat when she felt the car speed forward toward the curb and her mind couldn't focus on what she had to do next. Jake and Cory were yelling at her to press on the brakes, but with her own screaming drowning them out, they became background noise.
Something in Gracie snapped and she panic-stepped on the brake, falling back against the seat. Her hand flew to grip her chest and she found herself begging for oxygen to come back into her lungs.
Cory's attention was shifted toward Gracie when he realized what was happening.
She was having a panic attack.
He rubbed circles on her back and instructed her to 'smell the roses and blow out the candles'. When first starting to play football in high school, he would get panic attacks like this all the time. Cory would think he wasn't good enough for the team, he'd disappoint his coach, his family. That was how mom would calm him down and bring him back to the present moment.
Once Gracie was physically doing better — her heart rate slowed to normal, her hands were steady and the burning sensation in her lungs disappeared — she wasn't doing very well mentally. Maybe she wasn't meant to be a driver. Perhaps she really didn't have a choice but to take Ubers for the rest of her life. She had to accept that because, at the end of the day, she didn't want to put her own life along with the lives of her loved ones at risk.
"Jesus! What the fuck do you think this is, Mario Kart??
A giggle left Gracie's lips remembering the little green, baby dinosaur character she'd always play when playing the game on her DS.
"Yoshiiii."
"Oh dear God."
Cory bursted out laughing and Gracie joined in, giggling into his lap.
"Not funny, assholes!"
To that, they laughed harder and Gracie slammed her fist on the steering wheel as she laughed uncontrollably. Her face was strawberry red by the time she was done, but she let out leftover chuckles before she cleared her throat.
"In all seriousness, love. Next time, slowly step on the gas, alright?" Cory instructed in between chuckles.
"In all seriousness? You're still laughing, jackass!"
Cory pressed his lips together to sober down his laughing. He turned to Gracie and put an assuring hand on her thigh. "How about we try again?"
-
Gracie felt as if the whole world was lifted off her shoulders when she had successfully parallel parked into one of the empty spots. She sat back in her seat with a sigh of relief dripping from her lips and she was anxious to get back home in the safety of her bed. She giggled as Cory applauded her with a sense of his own relief shielding his eyes while Jake clung to the back of Cory's seat apologizing to God for the mistakes he made since 'he was about to die'.
"Good job, baby girl!"
"Good job my ass! I almost died!"
Cory slowly turned his head to face him with a deadly glare staring into his soul. If looks could kill, Jake would be on the car floor surrounded by a puddle of his own blood by now.
"I mean...great job! Yeah, yeah, forget what I just said."
"You keep practicing like this, you'll be on the road in no time."
"And then we can carpool karaoke to whatever song I want?"
Gracie loved watching James Cordon's carpool karaoke bits with her favorite musicians. Every song she listened to, she imagined being in the passenger seat with her friend singing along.
She'd always wanted to do it in real life. He promised that if she learned how to drive, when she gets a new car, they could carpool karaoke to any song she wanted.
As Cory was nodding, Jake complained. "Hell no. The songs on her playlist are either baby Bieber and other music from the 2000s or 2010s, Bieber today, or dumb, slow love ballads. No way in hell."
She rotated her body to face Jake and paused before bumping her fists together, flipping him off Ross Geller style.
Cory's mouth was in the shape of an oval, but then he covered it with his fist to avoid laughing his ass off.
Jake gasped when he remembered what that meant. "Did you see what she just did?"
"I did. And it was well deserved."
Jake immediately responded by punching Cory on the shoulder which started a full blown fight that consisted of playful punches to the noses and cheeks.
Meanwhile, Gracie was finally feeling better about driving. Before, she was too anxious behind the wheel, but now with Cory's help, she was more confident in her skills.
She had been waiting for this for six years.