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Riding Shotgun

Riding Shotgun

Flashbacks From My Passenger Days

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Holly Solem
Apr 05, 2025
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“Um. I think that was the turn, back there,” I mutter quietly, stiffening my arms so I can grip the seat cushion and brace myself for—

He slams on the brakes and yells, “FUCK! Where?”

His head spins all the way around like he’s possessed and the cherry red Mustang behind us screeches and swerves, passing by along with the sound of its horn. I look over just in time to see a middle finger go up and a face warped by rage, but say nothing. I must placate the beast within my own enclosure.

“Please calm down, it’s not that big of a deal. We can just go around the block.”

“Oh, and wouldn’t you know it. Fucking one way. This town and its one way streets, but they always go the wrong way, never the way I need them to go,” my father spits as traffic slows us to a five mile per hour crawl. “And I can’t turn around because I’ll get arrested and go to jail. Cops hate me. Even though it’s wide open on the other side of the street. If anyone else does a U-turn… like this numbskull…”

The white Toyota in …

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