"Okay, Abi, you said you had your permit?" Lin said, driving out of NYC Thursday morning.

"Yeah." I said, pulling the card out of my purse and showing it to him.

"Okay, oh gosh I'm going to die." He groaned.

"Why are we going so far away for this?" I asked.

"There's no way I'm teaching you to drive in the city, that's just not happening." He admitted, pulling over into a parking lot several miles out of the city. "Alright Peanut, drivers seat." He smiled at me, and climbed out of the car.

"Okay." I climbed out of the car and went back in, sitting nervously in the drivers seat.

"I left the car running darling," he started shutting his door, "now, put the car in reverse, that's this lever here." He pointed at the gear shift, "just pull it to here." He tapped the space that said 'R'."

"Okay." I said, carefully pulling the lever from 'P' to 'R' "now what?" I asked.

"Now, hands on 10 and 2 on the steering wheel." He instructed and moved both of my hands to the correct spots. "Then very very gently push down on the gas pedal." He added, watching me intently.

"I'm gonna die." I whispered, and gently pushed my foot down, and the car started moving.

"Look behind you, and turn left sweetie, you're doing great."

"This is how I die." I groaned gently turning the steering wheel.

"Awesome honey," he smiled, as I successfully pulled out of the parking spot, "now, change to drive." He tapped another spot on the gear shift, and I moved the lever, "okay, once again gently push your foot down and drive to the exit of the parking lot."

"I have to go on the road?" I asked, nervously.

"Yeah, that's how you go places." He laughed a little, and I slowly drive towards the street. "Excellent Peanut, you're better than your old man, now, take a right."

"If I die, Seb can have my stuffed dog." I said "you can have my playbills, mom can have my jewelry." I started listing.

"You're not gonna die, just take a right, honey, there aren't any cars." He pointed out.

"Okay." I whimpered and gently turned the steering wheel into the road, and nervously glanced at my dad. "Am I okay?" I asked.

"Yep, you're alive and doing fabulously sweetheart." He congratulated me, "now, go a little faster. Please note I said a little, do not kill me."

"Ha ha." I joked a little, and pushed my foot down a little more.

After a while, I had started to get the hang of driving. Lin just had me going back and forth on the same road, and I finally was able to do it without any instruction. Eventually I was driving and I saw a cat in the road, I let out a little scream and veered the car to the right, going off the road. I was terrified, and instead of pulling my foot off the gas, which I could hear my dad yelling at me, I pushed my foot down all the way, not thinking. I felt the car jolt forward quickly and I flew forward with it, only to be pushed back into my seat by my dad leaning in front of me. He grabbed the wheel and turned the car, and we crashed into a tree.

"Oh my gosh, oh crap, honey." I was sitting in the drivers seat sobbing as my dad got out of his seat, and ran around to my side of the car. He threw the door open and I braced myself for some sort of an attack, verbal or physical.

"I'm so sorry. Lin, I'll pay for it, I'll pay to get it repaired..." I started rambling, and I felt my dad unbuckle my seatbelt, pushing the airbag away from me.

"Are you okay Mija? Is anything broken?" He asked, squeezing up and down my left arm.

"I'll get a part time job, I can pay for it, Lin, Lin I'm so sorry." I sobbed, squirming away from him.

"Oh no, oh Peanut, no." He looked at me oddly, "it was an accident, there was a cat in the road, it was impulse, you didn't know what to do. I'm just glad you're okay, darling." He said and gently kissed my forehead.

"You're not mad at me?" I asked.

"Of course not." He brushed my hair out of my face, "oh!" He exclaimed a little, you have a cut, a little cut, on your forehead. Stay here, I have a first aid kit." He quickly ran back around to the trunk of the car and pulled out a first aid kit, coming back to me. "Come on out of the car Luzita." He gave me a little smile.

"Luzita?" I asked carefully stepping out of the car.

"Mmhm." He smiled and had me sit on the ground, "directly translated it would mean like, little light, but, since it's my moms name, it just means, like, younger Luz." He explained pouring hydrogen peroxide on a cotton ball, then pressing it to my forehead.

"Oh." I smiled a little, then winced at the stinging on my forehead.

"Sorry." He said, "can you hold that there?" He asked, and I brought my right arm up, and then winced again. "You okay?" He asked.

"My wrist." I whispered.

"Does it hurt?" He asked, quickly putting a band-aid on my cut.

"Mmhm." I nodded, and he gently held it, squeezing down it, until he finally squeezed my wrist and I let out a yelp of pain.

"Oh, there it is." He frowned, "can you move it?" He asked, and I nodded, bracing myself for pain, then moving my wrist, wincing. "It's probably just a sprain. Be careful with it. I'm gonna call a tow truck, we can take a cab to the doctors." He kissed the top of my hair, then pulled his phone out, dialing. I sighed and pulled my own phone out, just to pass the time.

Eventually the tow truck came and our cab came, while the cab was driving off, I had to offer again.

"Dad, I can get a part time job, I can work as a waitress, or at a grocery store, or at the mall, I'll pay for the car."

"No, Mijita, you're not paying for the repairs, it was an accident, I have enough money, and you're just a kid, it's alright."

"No, I just feel really bad, Dad, I wrecked the car, I feel awful."

"But you're okay. That's what matters. You could have been seriously hurt, little one. I'm already paying you to work at the show, you don't need a job, just let yourself be a kid."

According to the doctor, I did sprain my wrist, and I would have to wear a small black brace for a little while, until it didn't hurt to move. I reluctantly obliged, and strapped the black brace onto my right wrist. Vanessa was understanding about the crash too, and also insisted I didn't pay, saying it could happen to anyone.

•••

Hi!

Shoutout to @hifriendsilikebooks for this chapter idea...

Your guys' one shot requests give me so much joy. Like, nothing makes me happier than reading those you don't even know you guys. I love you all so much.

Love you.

Thanks for reading!

- Abi