Breakdown

We were only a few blocks away from the school when the car shook like it had been hit. There was a terrible grinding sound from the engine, and then suddenly... silence. The car gently rolled to a standstill. Smoke - or steam - began to rise up from the hood.

"Oh my... fucking god." I swore, and pressed by head against the steering wheel. "Of all the stupid rotten luck."

Surprisingly, my state of undress was the farthest thing from my mind at that point. You see, my parents had been paying for my breakdown cover since I'd been driving, up until about a week before this day began. They'd given me this whole lecture about being more independent and making my own way through life, so I promised them I'd start doing more for myself. I'd been putting it off all week, too busy chatting with my friends and playing on Facebook. They were going to kill me.

Which was why, with other thoughts occupying my mind, I opened my door and lowered my foot to the ground outside before Lucy grabbed hold of my arm.

"Woah! Ash! Are you sure you wanna go out there like... like this?" she asked.

I suddenly realised what I had been about to do. The car had broken down outside of a strip mall, which at this time of the morning was pretty empty. There were still people walking around, though; still vehicles passing us on the street, too.

And here I was, with one leg bared to the world.