Chapter 3

I wasn't riding along for the on-road lesson the next day.

But Mr. Cross asked me to pick up some paperwork from the intersection on the South Loop. It happened to be one of the routes the driving school regularly used for on-road lessons.

The moment I reached the intersection, a barrage of impatient horns pierced the air.

Coach Lawson's white training car was stopped in the right-turn lane, with traffic backed up behind it.

Behind the wheel sat Melody. She gripped the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles had turned white. Her face was even paler.

Coach Lawson sat in the passenger seat. The relaxed confidence he'd shown the day before was nowhere to be found.

"Take your foot off the brake and give it some gas! Everyone behind us is waiting!"

Melody looked ready to burst into tears. "There's an e-bike on my right. I can't."

From the back seat, Sienna rolled her eyes. "It's not even close. Move over. I'll drive."

The words had barely left her mouth when an e-bike shot across the front of the car from the right.

Startled, Melody slammed her foot down, and the car lurched forward.

Coach Lawson's face drained of color as he stomped on the instructor brake, but he was half a beat too late.

The front bumper clipped the rear of the e-bike. A plastic crate flew off the back, sending fruit rolling across the pavement.

The woman riding the bike fell to the ground and immediately pointed at the car while shouting, "Are you trying to kill me? Who taught you how to drive?"

Melody burst into tears.

Sienna shoved the door open, spotted me standing nearby, and her expression instantly darkened. "Sutton? What are you doing here? Watching us make fools of ourselves?"

"I was just passing by."

She let out a cold laugh. "Cut the act. Melody's just a terrible driver. This has nothing to do with Coach Lawson."

The fruit vendor's temper flared the moment she heard that. "Who are you calling a terrible driver? Weren't you the one rushing her a second ago?"

Sienna's expression stiffened.

Coach Lawson hurried out of the car with an apologetic smile. "It was just an accident. The student's nervous. Let's talk this through."

The woman grabbed the car door and refused to let go. "Talk it through? You're paying for the damage! Then you're taking me to the ER!"

In the end, Mr. Cross had to come personally. He paid for the damages and accompanied the woman to the hospital before the situation was finally brought under control.

Back at the driving school, Mr. Cross chewed Coach Lawson out until his face turned pale.

"Weren't you the one preaching relaxed instruction yesterday? Relaxed enough to almost hit someone at an intersection?"

Coach Lawson answered through gritted teeth, "Melody's reactions were just too slow."

From the doorway, Melody suddenly looked up. "Coach Lawson, you told me to hit the gas."

He froze.

Her eyes brimmed with tears. "I told you I was scared. Sienna kept rushing me, and both of you kept saying I'd be fine."

Sienna immediately grabbed her arm. "Melody, don't start making things up."

Melody shook her off. "I'm not making anything up! I told everyone yesterday that I still couldn't tell the gas from the brake, and you recorded a video making fun of me!"

The office fell silent.

Mr. Cross turned toward me. "Harper, what do you think?"

I cut him off. "Mr. Cross, I already handed the class over."

Sienna glared at me. "You're just waiting for us to come crawling back, aren't you?"

She walked up until we were face-to-face, lowering her voice. "I'm telling you right now—it'll never happen. Today was just an accident. I'll pass my mock road test just fine."

I nodded. "I hope you do."

More than anything, she hated seeing me stay calm. Sure enough, her eyes immediately reddened. "Sutton, stop acting so righteous. Weren't you so strict because you were afraid we'd ruin your reputation if something happened?"

I met her gaze. "It was never my reputation I was worried about. I was worried you'd treat someone else's life like it was just another driving lesson."

Her expression changed. "Stop using people's lives to guilt-trip me."

That afternoon, the driving school postponed all twelve students' mock road tests and required each of them to complete an additional driving assessment before rescheduling.

The notice had barely gone out when Sienna stormed into the office and slammed her phone onto the desk.

"Why was my test postponed? Was this your doing?"

Mr. Cross's face hardened. "You almost hit someone today, and you still think you're ready to test tomorrow? What makes you think you're ready?"

Sienna clenched her fists. Then she smiled. "Fine. If none of you will let me take the test, I'll practice on my own."

I looked up at her.

The defiance burning in her eyes was even stronger than it had been the day before.