Chapter 41: Test

"So? How do you feel?"

"What do you think?" I ask him sarcastically.

He surveys me momentarily with a slightly raised eyebrow, before looking back at the road to change lanes. "You look like you feel very confident and prepared."

I do not in any way feel confident or prepared.

Henry's driving me to my road test. I've been practicing with his instructor every day after school for a few hours for several weeks. The idea was to get this done as soon as possible, to reduce the risk of my parents seeing me in the extremely expensive convertible and wondering where the heck it came from. I don't want them to feel bad, or try and cut off my friendship (friendship?) with Henry because they think he's a bad influence or something.

Anyways, the instructor basically said I could've taken the test after only a few sessions. I did not feel prepared, though, so we kept going. I felt bad, because Henry is paying for my driving lessons, but he kept reassuring me that he didn't care about the money. I still don't really understand why he wants me to get my license enough to pay for all this stuff, but it's a bit of a reassurance that he wants me to be able to drive to his house. It makes it easier to believe him when he says I'm welcome there anytime.

So, this whole chain of events is what led to where I am now: in the passenger seat of the convertible that he insists is mine, with him driving me to my road test.

I feel pale and anxious and a little nauseous from nerves. Oh, and I'm shaking. All of me is shaking.

"Todd, you look like you did when I was test driving cars a few weeks ago, when I bought the purple car. Honestly, where does all your blood go? Calm down, you'll be fine. You're a good driver. You're better than me, and I passed on my second- no, third try. You can keep taking it until you pass, okay? And if the instructor thinks that you're an actual hazard to other drivers, the test will be terminated."

"Did that happen to you?"

"Yes. That was my first time, before I hired my instructor."

"You tried to take the driving test before hiring an instructor?"

He flashes me a toothy grin. "I figured I was an experienced enough driver from Mario Kart."

"No wonder it took you three tries."

He smirks, but doesn't respond, and that's when I realize that he's pulling up to the place where I'm supposed to take my test, and I remember to be nervous. He parks, then leans over the console to talk, gently lifting my chin up to make me meet his eyes. When I do, I get nervous for a different reason.

"Todd, you know how to drive. You'll do wonderfully. Perfectly, even. I'll bet you finish with zero points."

I roll my eyes.

"No, really. Come on, you study for tests at school, right? Have you ever failed?"

"No," I say quietly.

"Then- well, you can stand to be taken down a peg or two, first of all. But honestly, you're not going to fail. And even if you do, nothing bad is going to happen. It's not like your parents are going to get pissed at you, they don't even know. And if you do fail, which you won't because you're more than prepared for this, you'll be proving me wrong. And you've seemed to enjoy doing that, recently."

It's true. The more I hang out with him, the snarkier and more sarcastic I seem to get. It only causes him to smirk more.

"So stop worrying, okay? You'll ace it. And I'll call Raymond to come celebrate with us for the rest of the day."

"It's noon. That'd be a long makeover."

"It's Saturday, we can spare the time. But fine, whatever. Just... be careful, be safe, and be yourself."

I snort. "Be myself? How will that help? It's a road test, not a job interview."

"You're a natural at driving, that's how."

"You say that about everything."

"You're a natural at everything."

"I am not."

"Sure you are. Now stop arguing and listen. You're going to do great."

I close my eyes, take a careful inhale and exhale through my nose, hoping it'll calm my nerves, then meet his gaze again. His expression softens for a moment, before he sighs and looks away from me.

"Stop looking at me like that. You have a driver's test, like, now. You can look at me like that after."

He opens the driver's side and gets out of the car. I open my door and get out as well, though I'm still confused.

"Look at you like what?"

"Shh. Later. Come on."

I follow him into the building, trying to ignore my anxiety. It's not hard when it's increasing with every step I take.

-

I walk into the waiting room, feeling a little dazed. Henry jumps up as soon as he sees me.

"How'd it go?"

I blink, then hold out the Driver's Examination Form and Test Permit. His face lights up, and he pulls me into a tight hug. I'm still a little slow- it takes me a moment to wrap my arms around him as well.

"I told you you'd pass," he mumbles into my ear. I lean into him a little more, squeezing tightly.

"Thank you."

He pulls back and grins at me, his smile lighting up the whole room. It's impossible to look away.

"Don't thank me. You did that yourself."

"No. For... the car. And the lessons. And paying for the test."

His expression softens a little. "Of course. You're a responsible, careful, mature person. The roads would be a lot safer if there were more people like you driving."

I roll my eyes. "More people on the roads in general sounds less safe, actually. It would be better if the people already on the roads all drove responsibly"

"You're impossible. Come on, let's go to the Registry Agent and get your license changed to a Class 5."

So we do. As we're leaving the building, he puts an arm around my shoulders. "Alright, we just have one more stop."

"What? Where?" I'm immediately scared that I forgot something crucial to the license registration process. He smirks and gets into the driver's seat.

"It's a surprise. Get in."

So, not part of the registration process. I calm down a bit and get in. He puts the top down immediately and presses something on the CD player as he pulls out of the parking lot. Immediately, I'm a Believer from Shrek starts playing through the car speakers. I roll my eyes, but can't help smiling. He hums along until it gets to the chorus, at which point starts singing loudly, bopping along in his seat.

"I'm a believer! Not a trace! Of doubt in my mind! I'm in- oooh, ahhhh, I'm a believer, I-"

"Afraid of the L-word?"

He stops singing and looks at me. "What?"

I roll my eyes. "I asked if you're afraid of the L-word. Because-"

He cuts me off with a scoff and raises his eyebrows at me. "Asks the person who just called it the 'L-word'."

"You literally skipped over it in the song!"

"Fine." He stops at a red light and leans across the console, putting a finger under my chin to hold me in place, putting our faces mere inches away from each other. And then, of course, because that part of the song has come up again- "I'm in loooooooooove..."

A car honks behind us, and I jerk away from him, my pulse racing. The light's green, and he quickly drives through the intersection, continuing with his loud singing to the end of the song.

I can't think straight. His intent gaze- that low tone- and- holy heck, I just...

He plays the song again, and I roll my eyes automatically. He throws me a rakish smirk that makes my stomach do flips. I almost can't find the breath to comment when he replaces all the 'her's in the song with male pronouns.

"Then I saw his faaaaaaaace! Now I'm a believer! Not a trace-"

"'His'?"

He smirks again and pauses the song this time. "Yeah, it's a love song. Figured I might as well adapt it to my liking."

"So... your liking is guys?"

He's looking at the road, but he's smirking a little. "At the moment. Sometimes it doesn't matter. Other people have identified me as a pansexual or demisexual or something, but I really don't care to put a label on it." He shrugs like it's nothing, when in reality my heart is practically beating out of my chest. Guys, at the moment. I mean, I hadn't thought much about his sexuality (or mine, for that matter), but... that must mean... something. Right?

He pulls into the DQ parking lot. "Ice cream?"

Dedicated to @Bl00dy_b4nd41d for all of the lovely comments! Thank you so much for your support, it means so much to me!

What do you think of the chapter? Todd taking his road test? The millionaire's pep talk? How about their conversations brought up by I'm a Believer? Let me know in the comments!

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