The Name's Bond, Johnny5 Bond (Part II)

Girl Driving, or GD for short, was excited because she had her father's car that weekend, which happened to be an Audi. I also had a reputation that still lingered for being what people called "a driver." This affable label, for those that are reclusive hideaways, is applied to those that at one point drove fast and liked speed. Unfortunately, even though I had smartened up, the label still stuck.

"So how are you handling Recent Ex [RE] being here, J5?"

"I'm managing. Having Flirting Girl around is making it a helluva lot easier, without a doubt."

"She's definitely all over you. Just be careful you're not really rude in front of RE, it's not really fair."

"Yeah, I know, but she keeps eyeing me and it's really frustrating. I keep trying to sneak off so I don't feel like she's hawking me the whole time."

"Just be careful."

"Ok."

At this point, we're barely 2 minutes from the party, and we're cruising along. I'm nice and... relaxed in the passenger seat, admiring the night flying by outside without being able to truly mentally record it. I'm parsing through a lot of feelings and information right now, flying between feeling like a pimp, and totally missing what I formerly had.

"How cool is this car?" GD said.

"Really cool. It seems like it's pretty fast."

And here's where it slowly dawned on me that's not something you say to a girl in Dad's car, especially when she's competitive by nature and a bit of a tomboy.

"Yeah," GD said, "it is fast. Check it out."

I was estimating in my head by the feeling of the car the speeds she was accelerating through. 40...45...50...55... Maybe it was slower, it's hard to tell really from the passenger seat, but my mind was screaming out

TOO FAST!!!! YOU'RE GOING TOO FAST!!

These are not, mind you, highway roads. These are 25 mph speed limit roads, windy, dark, a fresh coat of rain, and during November, with leaves abound. I know these roads well, and I know that this isn't right.

"GD, can you slow down a little? You're making me nervous."

"It's fine, we're in an Audi. They're built for this."

Far be it from me to be a little whining girl, I shut my mouth and suck it up. But it doesn't take long.

"Oh shit," I say, noticing how it comes out with an almost perverse tone of calm.

"What? What is... OH SHIT!!!!"

I heard the tires screech, and my body actually relaxed. There was nothing I could do.