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Everett groaned as he stomped from one side of the garage to the other, dragging a broom uselessly behind him.
"O what cruel and unfair punishment," he moaned.
"We did destroy the kitchen and nearly burn down the house," I reminded.
"But we cleaned that all up! Mother is working us to the bone."
"It's been two hours."
"...only scraps for sustenance." He uselessly swiveled the broom in loops around him, whispering something about punishment by starvation.
I looked up from the toolbox I was absentmindedly wiping with a dust cloth. "You know doing that doesn't really clean the floor?"
"What do you mean?" He turned to me. "I'm sweeping it."
"You're just moving the dust around though, you're not collecting it anywhere?" My voice lilted at the end, coming out as a question as I scanned the area for any one pile of dust.
"Why would I collect dust, I have to sweep it away." Everett rolled his eyes as if I were the idiot among us.
"Away to where, Everett?"
His beautiful blank eyes widened as he stared into mine, shifting through a millions emotions till they finally landed on understanding.
"All this time Clementine...." He lifted his face up to stare at the hanging ceiling light. The bright beam washed over him, casting golden highlights over his cheekbones and shadows around his midnight eyes. "I have been an utter fool."
"Uhuh, yeah sure," I muttered, unimpressed by his dramatic enlightenment.
Everett clutched the broom in his hands, muttering under his breath like a gremlin. "Collect it into a pile...throw the pile away."
I rolled my eyes and bit back a smile as I turned my attention back to dusting.
"So uh, we should probably move this thing right?" Everett leaned casually against the red bonnet of his dad's car. "We have to sweep under it."
I didn't like the look that had settled over his face.
"Just sweep around it."
"And leave a job half done—"
"Swipe the broom under it if you must, the handle's long enough." I frowned as he tapped his broom on the floor in a rhythmic beat
"It just doesn't feel right, Clementine."
I got to my feet. "If you really want to move it I'll call your dad."
Everett swung his broom out wildly, almost tripping me up as he blocked the gate. "No! We can't bother the busy man!"
"But your mom's out and—"
"Exactly!" Everett tossed the broom aside, opting to grip both my shoulders instead. "When else are we going to get this opportunity?"
"Opportu—there's no opportunity!" I spluttered.
"I would not dare touch her car." He continued, ignoring me as he waved an impassive hand. "But my dad's, on the other hand...."
"You know I can already drive, it's not a big deal." I clamped up as Everett latched on to the end of my sentence.
"Yeah we're nineteen, we can move a car without bothering anyone," he agreed. A little too enthusiastically.
Everett grabbed the keys from the hook and chivalrously held open the passengers side door for me. I glared at him as I less-than-eagerly slipped in.
"You're only moving it a foot forwards, why am I even in the car?" I questioned suspiciously as he got in and turned on the ignition.
"Oh, no reason."
I narrowed my eyes.
"I just can't bear to part from you for a single moment, my sweet darling Clementine," he proclaimed, turning to capture my eyes in his innocent starry gaze.
Well, that only raised my suspicions further. "You don't know how to drive, do you?"
Everett scoffed. "I have already taken my test."
"Oh." I was admittedly surprised. His earlier excitement didn't seem characteristic of someone who could already drive.
Everett responsibly fastened his seatbealt and then checked the rear view mirror, moving it down a few inches. "Now it's angled so that I can see you."
"What? Don't do that!" I exclaimed, horrified.
He waved me off. "You must always pay attention to what's right in front of your eyes, sweetheart. Never look back."
I saw my own face turn beet red in the side mirror, but I believe it was from pure irritation and not from the nickname. "The mirror is there for a reason."
"Yes, to watch your cute boyfriend blushing." Everett reached out to swipe a thumb against my cheek, a teasing smile making its way onto his face.
"I'm not—just drive," I snapped.
His grin only grew wider as he switched the gear and stamped on the gas. The car made a whirring sound, stuck in place. Everett frowned, pressing harder on the gas.
"You haven't removed the handbrake," I pointed out.
"Oh, right." He carelessly pushed down the button, his foot still pressed tight on the gas pedal.
The car shot out of the garage at breakneck speed, hurtling down the driveway towards a flock of pigeons.
"Idiot!" I yelled as he used his other foot to hit the brakes, his right foot still on the gas.
The pigeons squawked and scattered, momentarily blinding our vision as they rose to the air in a cloud of white feathers. The car came to a jerky stop just inches away from the row of recycling bins by the fence. Everett threw his arm out to steady me as the momentum rocked us both forward.
"Ooh we didn't hit anything!" Everett beamed as if this was a huge accomplishment for him.
"You said you could drive!"
He had the decency to allow a hint of guilt to colour his eyes. "I said I took the test...I didn't really pass it."
Silence permeated the air for a full five minutes before I could bring myself to speak. "That was officially the worst experience of my life."
"I'm sorry." Everett turned to me, actually looking contrite for once. "That was reckless. I tried really hard to learn but I failed the test five times and got kicked out of the driving school and then my dad refused to teach me too."
"Five times?" I asked incredulously.
He nodded miserably. His curly shock of hair fell over his downturned face, a sorrowful pout making its way onto his lips.
I sighed and threw my leg across the console, positioning it between his so that I had access to the brake pedal.
"I'm going to regret this," I grumbled to myself.