The Art of Life (20 page)

               
Looking
at Jeremy, I ask, “What happens if I don’t do that?”

               
“You
hurt my car,” he replies, winking at me.

               
Appalled,
I shake my head.
 
“I am not doing this.”

               
“Yes,
you are.
 
Just push in the gas as far as
you feel comfortable and let up the clutch.
 
We can master doing it slowly afterwards.”

               
Easier said than done.
 
I take a deep breath, and press on the accelerator.
 
I feel the engine rev and I grimace.
 
Looking at Jeremy, he waves his hand
forward.
 
So, I just bring my foot off
the pedal and the car takes off.
 
I
scream and slam my feet down on the pedals.
 
The car screeches to a halt.
 
Jeremy doubles over laughing.
 
“Shut up, you jerk!” I yell.

               
 
“It’s alright,” he reassures me.
 
“I couldn’t even get the car to move when I
first tried learning stick.
 
That is why
I wanted you to feel it catch.
 
You felt
it right?
 
Where the gear caught?”

               
“Actually,”
I reply, “Yeah.”

               
With
a gentle smile, Jeremy says, “See.
 
Now,
we work on you doing it slowly.
 
What you
are going to do is as you press on the gas, you are going to release the clutch
at the same time.
 
You will feel the
clutch catch, but it may take you a while to get it.
 
So, don’t feel discouraged.”

               
“I
have no confidence in myself,” I reply.
 
“I get discouraged easily.”

               
“You
will be fine,” he sighs.
 
“Just take it
easy.”

               
Nodding,
I try to do it at a normal pace.
 
Of
course, I kill it.
 
Feeling a little
determined, I try again and this time it catches.
 
“I did it!” I exclaim.
 

               
“Okay,
yes, but we are going ten miles an hour and you are going to kill it if we
don’t go any faster.
 
So, what you want
to do is press the gas a little more.”
 
I
do that, and I hear the engine rev higher as we pick up speed.
 
“Do you hear the engine?
 
When you hear that, you need to shift gears.
 
Also, that little meter is the tachometer,
when it goes to 3.5, you shift then
too .
 
So, you want to press in the clutch and shift
gears.
 
Give me your hand.”
 
I give to him and push in the clutch.
 
He pulls back on the shifter and I feel it go
into second.
 
“Now, you can go faster.”

               
“I
don’t want to go any faster,” I state.

               
Jeremy
just chuckles.
 
“Fine, then stop the
car.
 
First, press down the clutch and
then the brake.”

               
I
do that, and the car stops.
 
Squealing, I
leap across the car and wrap my arms around Jeremy.
 
“I did it!”

               
“Yeah,
you did,” Jeremy returns, laughing.
 
I
pull back and our faces are inches apart.
 
We kind of stare at each other for a second, before I
sit back down quickly.
 
“So, you
want to try again?”
 
He asks.

               
“Yes!” I yell.

               
We spend about two hours having
me practice.
 
I have it down pretty well
at the end of it.
 
“What now?” I happily
ask.

               
“You drive on a road,” Jeremy
replies.

               
That makes me frown.
 
“You want me to do this with other people
around?
 
I am going to get into an
accident, or kill someone, or WRECK YOUR CAR!”

               
“So, wrecking my car comes above
killing someone?
 
I mean I love my baby,
but it’s not worth running someone over.”
 
Jeremy taps the dashboard.
 
“She
will take one for the team.”

               
“Why would you even run the risk
of it getting wrecked for me?
 
You don’t
even know me that well!
 
I will probably
start to get annoying any second now.
 
Don’t let me ruin something you are so proud of.”

               
Jeremy suddenly looks mad.
 
“I am your friend and I haven’t even been
annoyed by you once.
 
I think you are
absolutely adorable.
 
So, drive my
car.
 
That is what we are here to do,
have you learn to drive.
 
No one else but
Joshua and Kent has ever driven my car.
 
So, that I am teaching you in this car, shows what you mean to me.”

               
“
Awww
,
that’s so sweet,” I say, giggling a little.
 
“You are my first true friend.
 
Thank you so much for having so much faith in me.”

               
“No problem, now, let’s go drive
on a street.”

               
We take it slow, but I don’t do
too badly.
 
When at lights, I tend to
kill it or squeal the tires.
 
Jeremy
finds that last part humorous.
 
Finally,
the sun is starting to set.
 
I look at
Jeremy.
 
“I think I should get home.”

               
“Okay,” he replies.
 
“Drive over there.”

               
When we pull up to the house, I
put the car in neutral and turn it off.
 
Jeremy says, “Put on the emergency brake.” I do and then take a deep
breath.
 
“You did well today.
 
I am very proud of you.
 
You caught on pretty quickly.
 
It took me a while to learn to drive stick.”

               
“I think it will take me time to
master it,” I sigh.
 
“Now, I am
tired.
 
This was stressful.”

               
“Well then, I will let you go,”
Jeremy retorts, as he gets out of the car.
 
I climb out and can’t help but smile.
 
He returns the grin.
 
“So, are you
more excited now than scared?”

               
I nod.
 
“Yeah, when can we do it again?”

               
“I work tomorrow night and then
have plans, so maybe Saturday.”

               
Teasing, I say, “
Oooo
, do you have another date with Vicky?”

               
The best expression ever passes
over Jeremy’s face.
 
“Oh
gosh no.”

               
“What, why?”
I ask.

               
“She was….well….really
shallow.
 
Honestly, I think she was only
interested in me because of my looks.
 
So, I made an excuse and left.
 
I
did pay for dinner, not that I just left.”

               
Crossing my arms, I inquire,
“And what excuse did you give?”

               
His mouth turns into an evil
smirk.
 
“I said I had diarrhea.”

               
“Jeremy!” I yell, trying not to
laugh.
 
“How could you
actually say that to a girl!?”

               
“Oh easily,” he retorts.
 
“It was actually funny.”

               
My eyes roll and I respond, “You
are awful.”

               
“I am awesome you mean.”
 
This must be really humorous because he just
laughs as he climbs into his car.

               
 
Grabbing ahold of the door, I say, “Thank you
Jeremy.
 
Thanks for being a great
friend.
 
This means the world to me.”

               
“Oh, there is going to be payback,”
he replies.
 
“You still have to clean my
apartment.”

               
That makes me smile.
 
“I will happily do that.”

               
“Good.
 
Why don’t I pick you up at like two on
Saturday?
 
I will probably need to sleep
in.
 
I am going out with the boys Friday
night, lots of debauchery and craziness.”

               
“Debauchery, you know what that
means right?” I ask.

               
Giving me a perplexed look, he
responds, “No, not really.”

               
“It’s like saying you are going
to have sex with a whole bunch of people or have an orgy, and I hope that isn’t
what you have planned.”

               
Jeremy suddenly bursts out
laughing.
 
“I have totally been using
that word wrong.
 
So, we are going out
for a night of revelry, not debauchery.
 
Of course, I am speaking for myself.
 
I have no control over the other guys.”

               
I laugh.
 
“Well, try and behave yourself.
 
Don’t kiss too many girls.”

               
“What’s the fun in that,” Jeremy
retorts, with a grin.
 
“Alright toots, I
will see you Saturday.”

               
“Night
Jeremy.”

               
“Sleep well hon.
 
I will see you Saturday.”
 
He shuts the door and I wave good bye as he
leaves.

               
Friday flies past and thankfully
Sonya is still not in school.
 
It is a
nice reprieve.
 
I take my time in art
class, because I need to do a really good job on this project and of course, I
don’t want Jeremy’s portrait to look ridiculous.
 
I wonder if he will even see it.

               
That afternoon, I walk home with
a smile on my face.
 
When I get about
three blocks from school, I hear a car horn honk.
 
I turn around and see Eric.
 
He rolls down his window.
 
“Do you want a ride?”

               
“Umm, sure,” I reply,
hesitantly.

               
“Get in,” he retorts.

               
I go to the passenger side and
open the door.
 
When I get inside, I see
a guy in the back.
 
“Oh, hi,” I stutter.

               
“Isabelle, this is Jack.
 
Jack, this is Isabelle.”

               
Jack nods his head.
 
“I have had a few classes with her.
 
I didn’t realize you two were friends.”

               
“Well,” Eric laughs uneasily,
“We have only recently been talking.
 
She
doesn’t live that far from me, so I am going to give her a lift.”

               
“Whatever,” Jack says, shrugging
his shoulders.
 
“Drop me off at Joanne’s
house.”

               
Eric rolls his eyes, but Jack
doesn’t see.
 
“So, where is Jeremy
today?”

               
“Working,” I answer.
 
“He’s a mechanic and works on bikes.”