“Hey, could you drive me home man?” Jerry asked.

“Uhh...sure?”, I croaked, ignoring the the nagging voice in my head. As both of us walked in the frigid elements to my car, I knew this was going to end awfully.

Gods, why did I not say no? I know I will be in huge trouble if a cop pulls me over; it has only been five months since I got my license, but I am awful at saying no, and I already agreed to it now.

The air stung against my skin like needles as I walked to my car. Granted, I was wearing flip-flops and shorts in below freezing weather.
I was feeling excited as I jumped into the car, ready to blast some music. All I had to do was turn on the radio and switch it to CD as I reversed the car, but then my car jolted back forward. Did I just hit a car? This did not make sense; I did not see any cars driving behind me, but I was hardly looking, was I?

Stepping out of my car, I squinted through the darkness to attempt to see any possible damage that I had just dealt to the car parked ten yards behind me. Being distracted, I never turned the wheel of my car and so instead of properly turning out of the parking spot, I had continued reversing the car until I hit another car parked behind me. My mind started spinning in all directions and I suddenly felt like a lost puppy, unsure of what do without an adult's wisdom, so I continued with the original plan: I drove Jerry to his house and continued home by myself.

When I got home, my nerves were driving me crazy. Desperately searching for an answer to calm myself, I started questioning the all-knowing Google.

Google: what happens if you leave the scene of an accident without calling the police or waiting for the owner of the other car? “Are you looking for insurance?” Thanks for all the help; that definitely answers my question…

Within fifty minutes, I was pacing about, talking to myself like a madman, arguing this scenario and that one. At seventeen with no experience with accidents or law, how could I make a good decision?

Believe it or not, your ‘stereotypical, masculine male’ can easily start crying on his mom’s shoulder; no matter how ‘tough’ he tries to be. Everyone just wants to hear that “it will be alright”, but how could this situation be anywhere near alright? After finally building up the courage to admit my mistake to my, I begged her to advise me about what actions I should take. After deliberating with herself for a moment, she decided that the best course of action would be to return to the parking lot and pray that the car was still there so we could leave a note. Otherwise, I would have to admit my mistake to the front office the next day and hope they could locate the victim of my faux pas.

Our car engine suddenly came to life as my mother and I started driving back to the parking lot. Upon arrival, we took a flashlight to assess the degree of damage that I caused. The dent, centered around the back left door, was massive. Trying my best to be of use, I took a couple pictures of the car door as proof of the damage and left a note on the person's dashboard.

I will not try to continue past there, because the rest of the story would be complicated insurance and money jargon that I would have to quote from my parents. The accident is far in the past now and I am extremely grateful not only of my parents assistance, but that no one was in the car I hit. I am proud, though; unlike some, I went back to the parking lot. I can at least say I did the right thing whereas others may have casually put it in the back of their minds. I have driven many times since then, correcting my hurried behavior by being extremely cautious in parking lots and around pedestrians. What is the point of a mistake in life if I do not learn from it? But whether the root of my choice is guilt of the damage I did to the person's car or fear of the possible ramifications, the outcome is the same.