Drops of rain splattered my windscreen, slowly covering it with small round specks that sat in existence for a few moments before my wipers brushed them aside. Street lights lit up this almost deserted road on this otherwise dark night and most people were at home, which is where I was headed. Pulling up to a red light, I saw a small car stopped with a P plate in the rear window and the silhouette of two guys in the back seat. As I draw to a stop beside it, I see that it's full of four young men in their way home. I'm what might be called a shy driver and I tend not to look at people in other car's when I'm stopped at traffic lights in case they look back or yell out at me. It embarrasses me for some reason when they do and I never know how to react and just end up either looking away embarrassed or staring back with a blank stare like a deer stuck in their headlights.
So, I did what I always do and stared straight ahead and I hoped they would just ignore me. Shreds of that song by My Chemical Romance began to run through my head..
"They said all teenagers scare the living shit out of me
They could care less as long as someone'll bleed
So darken your clothes or strike a violent pose
Maybe they'll leave you alone but not me"
But not me... I could feel them, they were looking at me, I was sure but I kept looking straight ahead. I accelerated away as soon as the lights turned green. I'm never a slow poke at the lights and this was no exception as I accelerated away at a brisk but not overly aggressive pace. Although I pulled away from that car at first, I soon hit the speed limit and maintained a constant pace as they caught up. I expected them to zoom past but to my horror they matched my pace as they pulled up alongside me. I really hoped they weren't going to engage in abusive behaviour and I kept looking straight ahead.
Their car zoomed ahead half a length and then slowed down and fell back half a length. I heard it's engine rev as they did it again; they were obviously trying to get my attention. For some reason, I began to smile. I'm not sure why those previous fearful feelings began to melt away but they did and I smiled. Little dots of rain stuck to my side window stubbornly and I wondered if they could see me grinning in this dim light. Another intersection was ahead and the lights were red, I would have to stop with them beside me.
I rolled to a stop and I saw they they had moved another lane across and were going to turn right, so they would soon stop being a bother. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the boys in that car smiling and waving wildly at me. I turned and looked at them, smiling back a little shyly. The boy in the front passenger seat waved again and I raised my hand and gave a shy finger wave in return. It was enough for him and he gave a celebratory fist pump and I could see him saying "Yes!" as the lights turned green and they turned off to go wherever they were going.
I think I made his night and strangely, he kinda made mine and I couldn't stop smiling as I drove the rest of the way home.
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