A Huge Mistake
I finally had it! I had the golden ticket in my hand! Okay, it wasn’t really golden—it was actually blue, and it wasn’t really a ticket—it was my driver’s license! Finally, after all the driving classes and practice drives, I at last had the little plastic card that would provide me the autonomy to drive wherever I wanted. Only one thing was missing: I didn’t actually have a vehicle yet, but I was saving up and figured I would have that sweet, sweet freedom eventually. Until that time, however, I had to share my family’s beat-up sedan with my overbearing older sister who monopolized the car for her so-called job every day. It was so incredibly frustrating.
To make matters exponentially worse, my mom indulged herself with a whopping bonus that year and instead of providing her only, impeccable son with a set of wheels, she went and irresponsibly splurged and bought a brand new convertible. When I pointed out the injustice of it all to her, she said to me, “Ezra, when you work hard and get a bonus from work, then you can buy yourself whatever you want.”
My mom worked exceptionally hard and was a successful entrepreneur, but she could have bought two really functional cars for the price of that convertible. Don’t get me wrong, the convertible was incredible: it had leather seats, a shiny silver paint job, and best of all, it could move from 0-60 mph in 4.1 seconds; it was truly amazing! There was one issue, though, because it was my mom’s car, and only hers. My mom said, “Ezra, when you earn enough to buy a car like this one, you can drive it any time you want.”
The problem was that I couldn’t wait the decades it would take until I earned enough for a car as incredible as my mom’s because Juliana, the girl I had had a crush on since eighth grade, had finally agreed to go out with me. Basically, this was the miracle I had been waiting for since I was thirteen, and miracles didn’t come around every day. Wouldn’t it be crazy, though, to pick Juliana up in a car that had cost as much as a small house, especially since I had just gotten my driver’s license? Extreme times called for extreme measures, and I decided that I would have to become extremely convincing. I began begging my mom to let me drive the car for just one evening. I reasoned, I badgered, and I pleaded until my mom became extremely annoyed, but to my amazement, she relented! She agreed to allow me three hours, and three hours only, with the car to take Juliana to the movies!
Juliana and I set up our rendezvous for the evening, and I planned to go by her house to get her. My aunt was at our house to pick up my mom to go visit extended family, and when she heard that my mom was allowing me to use the new car, she rolled her eyes and mumbled under her breath. After what felt like hours of cautionary warnings from my mom, with my aunt shaking her head in disgust the whole time, they finally left the house. I couldn’t help stealing a glance into the garage before getting ready to go out with Juliana. That beautiful convertible was just sitting there all alone, waiting to be driven. I hooted in victory and headed for the shower, thinking how impressed Juliana would be when I picked her up for our date in a brand new convertible. I visualized the whole evening: how impressed Juliana would be as she climbed into that car, how surprised her parents would be, and how fine I would look driving it. My imagination ran wild until it was finally time to go.
I raced to the garage to find that beautiful convertible just sitting there all alone, asking to be driven. I opened the car door and slid into the driver’s seat. I put the key in the ignition and started the motor. The roar of the engine startled me. All I needed to do was back it down the driveway, drive the short way to Juliana’s, then to the movies, drop Juliana off, and then head straight back home. No big deal, I figured; I would just slowly back it up. But then I hit the gas pedal instead of the brakes when I put it in gear, and in an instant, I was soaring backward down the driveway before I even knew what was going on. All I remember at that point was hitting the brakes and screeching to a halt after feeling a great thump from the rear of the car. I had backed the convertible right into our garbage cans at the end of the driveway! As I turned the car off, got out, and inspected the back of the car, my heart sank. The back bumper was not only dented, but a huge scratch ran along the entire back end of the car. I was in so much trouble.
I contemplated my situation. I had three hours until my mom would be home. I wondered how I was going to fix this mess, but then realized I had no hope. I couldn’t run, and I couldn’t hide, so I pulled out my phone to make the hardest call of my life: “Hello, Mom. It’s me, Ezra. I made a huge mistake.”
Question 1
Part A
Which description best explains the impact of the story’s ending?
Responses
By not explaining what happens on Ezra's date with Juliana, the ending makes her into a mysterious and haunting figure.
By not explaining what happens on Ezra's date with Juliana, the ending makes her into a mysterious and haunting figure.
The ending illustrates how Ezra has changed as a character because he is honest about what happened to the car.
The ending illustrates how Ezra has changed as a character because he is honest about what happened to the car.
Because the ending does not reveal the reaction of Ezra’s mother, it closes the story on a very suspenseful moment.
Because the ending does not reveal the reaction of Ezra’s mother, it closes the story on a very suspenseful moment.
Because the ending shows Ezra's date did not go as planned, it concludes the story on a humorous note.
Because the ending shows Ezra's date did not go as planned, it concludes the story on a humorous note.
Question 2
Part B - Points depend on a correct response in Part A.
Which evidence from the text best supports the correct answer in Part A?
Responses
"All I needed to do was back it down the driveway, drive the short way to Juliana’s,…"
"All I needed to do was back it down the driveway, drive the short way to Juliana’s,…"
"I wondered how I was going to fix this mess, but then realized I had no hope."
"I wondered how I was going to fix this mess, but then realized I had no hope.",
‘“Hello, Mom. It’s me, Ezra. I made a huge mistake.’”
‘“Hello, Mom. It’s me, Ezra. I made a huge mistake.’”
‘“Ezra, when you earn enough to buy a car like this one, you can drive it any time you want.’”
‘“Ezra, when you earn enough to buy a car like this one, you can drive it any time you want.’”