I’d been 16 for six days and was already prepared to deal with failure. I remember when

I’d been 16 for six days and was already prepared to deal with failure. I remember when my mum   36   me up that morning, her voice wasn’t as   37   as it usually was.

I stayed in bed for a few minutes. I was   38   to leave its warmth and comfort, and didn’t want to face the problem that I’d let myself   39   for the past six months. Finally, I dragged myself out of    40  .

I finished getting ready and tried to   41  . It didn’t work, so I decided that my   42   should go with me. We had a little time, so I thought we could practice parking. I   43  , with the wheel hitting the fence. After that, the little bit of confidence I’d had was   44  . I tried two more times, but didn’t   45   much. Then we headed to the test site.

    I went into a room for some paperwork. And I waited for 20 minutes—just   46   time to make myself believe that I was going to fail. Then, finally, it was my   47  . I just wanted to get it over and make sure that I had to come back next Thursday.

    I stepped outside and the sky was the light blue I love. It offered me some   48   and I realized something: something between when I pulled myself off the seat and when I got outside. I had become   49   and confident.

    The first thing I had to do was parking, which I did quite   50  . The confidence that came with it hit me like a wave. The rest of the test went well too and I   51   it all. As I drove back, the instructor told me I would not be coming back for a second   52   next Thursday.

    Back in the building I didn’t have to say a word. My mum knew just by looking at me. Her    53   made her face softer. And I’m sure it was at least as big as the smile on my face. Her eyes, 54  , looked kind of teary. I knew she was   55   for me.

36—40 BACCD 41—45 CABDB 46—50 ADDAB 51—55 ACBAB