My small Mazda jumped the curb and scraped along the side of a tree. The screeching noise was deafening as the car burned the bark off.
I slammed on the brakes and the car finally came to a stop, half on the curb, half off.
"Are you okay, Jenny?" I asked my best friend sitting in the passenger seat.
Jenny glanced down at herself, looking for any serious injuries. "I think I'm okay."
I turned off the car and got out. The tree was impossibly close to the side of the car. It looked like my car was trying to eat it. I walked around and checked out the damage. It was worse than I thought.
The entire passenger side of the car was scratched. A large dent where I first hit the tree was near the front door. Leaves and pieces of wood were all over the ground.
Jenny tried to get out but her door was stuck. She had to crawl over my seat and out the driver-side door.
Jenny sucked in her breath when she saw the damage. "Your stepdad is going to kill you when he sees this," she said.
"I'm so fucked," I added.
"What do we do now?" Jenny asked.
"Let's see if I can get the car of the curb without dealing anymore damage."
"What about the tree?"
"What am I supposed to do? Leave a note on it?" I replied sarcastically.
"Well I don't know," Jenny said.
"Let's just get in the car."
Jenny nodded and went in first. I got in after and started the car. I pressed lightly on the gas and the car lurched forward, scraping more of the paint away. I clenched my eyes shut and tried not to focus on the horrendous noises.
Then it was finally free.
I breathed a sigh of relief and Jenny chuckled.
"What's so funny?" I asked.
"That must've been a sweet daydream you were having."
"What do you mean?"
"You drifted completely off the road and up onto the sidewalk. A blind man could've done better."
I laughed with her. "Yeah you're probably right."
I pulled up to Jenny's house and she got out of the car. Before she closed the door, she peeked her head in. "Good luck with your stepdad."
"Thanks, I'll need it."
I drove to my house and parked in the driveway. I sat in the car for what seemed like hours, deciding on what to do. I didn't want to have to tell my parents. Once I did, I'd be grounded for the rest of the summer.
I couldn't try to hide it from them either. The damage was impossible to miss. It would only make matters worse.
I stepped out of my car and gave it one last look before going inside. I knew I wouldn't be able to drive it again for a very long time.
I could hear my parents talking in the kitchen and when I entered my mom gave me the biggest smile. "How was hanging out with Jenny?" she asked. Elliot was leaning against the island, reading a magazine with glasses on. I always wanted to tell him how sexy he looked with those on. But now was not the time.
There was no going back now. "I got in a minor car accident," I said, my head hanging low.
"What!" Elliot said, his voice getting louder.
Now was the time to decide how to tell it to them. I could lie and say that someone hit me. That would save me from being grounded. All I had to do was have Jenny back up my story.
"Well I was driving with Jenny and all of the sudden this jerk came out of nowhere. Ran up alongside the car and scratched the hell out of it."
"Did you get his insurance information?" my stepdad asked.
"I couldn't," I began, "he sped away before I could even stop my car."
Elliot clenched his fist and looked at my mom. "Let's go check out the damage and then we can call the insurance company."
"Are you and Jenny okay?" my mom asked, hanging her arm around my shoulder.
"A little shaken up but we're both fine."
The lie was working.
Elliot led the charge to the front door and he opened it to reveal two uniformed police officers. I wanted to sneak away when I saw them but my mom's arm was still holding onto me tightly. "Did you find the guy that hit my daughter?"
The cops looked at each other in confusion. "We don't know what you're talking about sir. We have a report of a Mazda hitting a tree a couple blocks from here. The one in your driveway matches the description, complete with all the damage."
My stepdad looked at me furiously. I wanted to shrink away into nothingness. Elliot turned back to the cops. "So what happens now?"
"Well there was some minor damage to the tree. You'll receive a bill from the city in a few days. Just have your daughter drive a little more carefully next time. We don't want anyone getting hurt."