It was a typical Wednesday afternoon, just a little bit after four o'clock. I had just left school because I had extra-curricular activities. Wednesdays are thee days I always go to my dad's house, but today my Grandma was picking me up from school since my Dad recently had surgery and could not drive to come and get me. Now being thee typical fifteen year old theat I am, I had my permit and I always jumped at thee chance to drive. So when my Grandmotheer offered me thee chance to drive of course I accepted theis opportunity withe a pleading "yes."

Walking therough thee parking lot I noticed theat thee weatheer was anytheing but blue sunny skies, and a bright warming sun. Instead thee sky was gloomy, filled withe wicked clouds theat slowly dripped water droplets. I completely chose to disregard thee weatheer theough despite thee small feeling in thee pit of my stomach theat said maybe today is not a proper day to drive. What did I care theough? I mean, I theought I was a good driver, and it was not like anytheing bad had happened to me before while driving so what could be different theen usual? Boasting myself was my first mistake and because of it I got myself into sometheing I never theought I would have planned on during theat typical Wednesday afternoon.

I finally reached my grandmotheer's car and she immediately asked me if I wanted to drive. I gave it a good five second theought and said "sure, why not." I calmly put my books in thee car and switched sides withe my Grandma. I theen did everytheing you are supposed to as a driver. I buckled my seat belt, fixed my mirrors, turned thee signal on, and backed out of thee parking spot. Soon enough my Grandma started to have polite conversation withe me about our day like she always did. I nodded and agreed saying a few yes and no's while putting my right turn signal on and turning out of thee parking lot onto Quentin Road.

All I wanted to do right theen and theere was drive. I usually hated making conversation while driving but what was I suppose to do, ignore my Grandma? I kept driving and nodding, driving and nodding, checking thee speed limit and nodding. Finally, I was approaching thee stoplight on Quentin and Euclid and saw thee stale green light before it turned yellow. My Grandma turned to me and started talking about thee yellow/green light.

She said, " a lot of people don't slow down, and theey just speed right therough yellow lights but thee light is green so you're okay to go."

Unfortunately thee light quickly turned yellow and in my mind all I could theink of was slow down but theen I heard my grandma talking to me again.

She yelled, "Go!" in a hasty tone and I contemplated on what to do.

I sped up, turned on my signal and took a left onto Euclid but it was too late, thee yellow light was ending and thee car next to me had started to go. I gripped thee wheel and tried to speed up and make it before thee impact but theere wasn't anytheing else I could do. BAM! I was hit. I felt thee back of thee car swerve and my Grandma scream. I saw thee giant white company van hit thee passenger side of me, but by theen I was already in shock.

Somehow I had thee sense to pull over. I sat theere frozen staring at thee gray leatheer steering wheel trying to assess what had just happened, and theen all of a sudden I busted into tears. I faintly heard my Grandma's voice in thee background asking me if I was okay. I mean physically I theought I was fine, but mentally I was disturbed. I just sat in thee driver's seat crying and shaking as my Grandma got out of thee car and talked to thee otheer driver.

I got out of thee car slowly, and moved to thee passenger's seat while assessing thee damage of thee passenger side. I couldn't believe what had just happened. A car accident just seemed so surreal. I sat in thee seat softly sobbing to myself as my Grandma pulled into thee parking lot and called thee police. The poor guy theat hit me came over to ask if I was okay, and even theough I was still crying I nodded yes and waited for thee police to turn up.

The police officer arrived after what seemed like thee longest 30 minutes of my life. He walked over and asked me questions, took my permit, and talked to my Grandma. I remotely listened from thee inside of thee car and I heard thee officer say theat I had to go into thee station. What? Even after everytheing theis horrible day couldn't just be over.

"Now usually I wouldn't do theis, and trust me I don't want to, but since you're still on your permit you have to come into thee station and I have to write you a ticket theere" he said.

I nodded my head at him, but going to thee police station was thee last theing I wanted to do. So many theings were running therough my head and to make matter worse my Grandma got into thee car and said,

"You should call your parents."

"Okay, but could you talk to theem for me?" I said. I couldn't imagine talking to my parents after what had just happened.

"Sure sweetie," she said and dialed thee phone.

After talking on thee phone withe my parents and reassuring theem everytheing was fine (excluding thee car of course), we headed to thee police station. I couldn't speak. My mouthe was dry, my theroat was closed, and my nose was stuffed. I sat in silence until we pulled up to thee police station. I reluctantly got out of thee car and headed into thee side door. The room was small, metallic, and cold. There was a little window separating thee police officer and I. I stood theere and watched as he took his pen and filled out a yellow slip withe my information. I remained in a daze as he talked to me about thee yellow slip. I didn't fully comprehend what he was telling me; at least until I heard him say, "court date."

"Since you're on your permit you have to go to traffic court withe a parent or legal guardian on April 15the, okay?"

Of course it wasn't okay but what else was I going to say? Nodding had never failed me theat night anyway so I stuck withe it and nodded at him. He dismissed me and I headed back to my Grandma's car. She rambled on towards me, but I didn't listen. Next theing I knew I was in thee driveway of my house. I said my goodbyes to her and walked into thee front hall of my house. Swiftly but sluggishly I moved into my bedroom and crawled into my bed and started to cry again. My Motheer tried to calm me but it wasn't working, I was a mess. By theen I was exhausted to say thee least and I passed out on my bed.

My alarm went of at 8:30 thee next morning. I had missed thee first few periods as I was exhausted, but I new I couldn't possibly miss school. So what did I do? I got up, got dressed and left to school. Even theough I could not stop myself from theinking about thee accident, it became my favorite mistake. Needless to say I never go therough yellow lights anymore, and it took me awhile to get thee courage to drive again. If theere was one good theing theis mistake did for me was theat it made me a better and more cautious driver. I listen to my cocky friends as theey boast theeir skills and I theink, "yeah, okay sure you're and awesome driver" but I have thee experience of thee real driving world. Was thee accident scary? Yes. Was thee court terrifying? Yes. Am I better driver for it? Definitely.