Tailgating

“Please please please can I take the car to school tomorrow???” Butterfly begged us last night, as is the recent routine. The $4.00 per day parking fee is but a small pittance for her to pay for “being cool.” And my 16-year-old daughter is all about The COOLNESS FACTOR. It ups your social standing in high school “to drive” as opposed to being “dropped off.” And it is especially better than taking the bus. Or walking.

Then there is the lunch period. It is WAY cooler to eat out for lunch as an upper classman than to eat in the cafeteria. And a lot more fun to grab a small handful of friends for some socializing and fried rice at Panda Express. Or gossip and chili dogs at Tommy’s Red Hots.

Butterfly has taken over our new car as if it is her own, filling it with her favorite CDs and hanging something interesting around the mirror. I drew the line at putting a “Bob Marley” bumper sticker on the back. She loves zipping around in this new cute little car, instead of our old beater with the missing hubcaps.

We try to accommodate Butterfly’s requests to borrow the vehicle as often as we can arrange it. If Super Hubs and I can manage with just one car between the two of us for the day, it’s hers. Unless it becomes a safety issue, such as with the recent drizzly, slippery winter weather.

This morning the sun shone warm and the ice appeared to be melted. After driving Super Hubs to the train station for his commute downtown, I assessed that it was safe enough for Butterfly to drive to school. Her face lit up and she gave me a hug. “Thanks, Mom!” she said, brightening.

A few minutes later, I poured my second cup of coffee and glanced out the living room window. There was my daughter, happily driving the new car down the street toward school. With the blue recycling bin, jammed under the back of the car, following.

Ah yes. Her COOLNESS FACTOR was going to be very high today among her peers.