Notes From The Midnight Driver

Chapter 2 moves back in time to the September before, as Alex narrates his decision to steal his mother’s car in order to act out against his father. Alex has determined that he will drink the vodka that his dad left behind and then drive “triumphantly” (4) to his father’s home, where he’ll angrily surprise his dad and his dad’s lover, who happens to be Alex’s third-grade teacher.

Unfortunately, Alex gets drunk faster than he expects, given that he has never engaged in this behavior before. After starting out on his drive, he quickly crashes in someone’s yard; he drunkenly thinks he hit a human being, but the first police officer on the scene sets him straight, explaining that it is a lawn gnome. At 16, Alex’s drunken description of the events involves a lot of sarcastic observations, as he cracks jokes at the police officers who take him in for the night.

In a comedic series of events at the police station, Alex knocks over the police officer’s coffee, getting it all over himself and the officer. Alex is also bleeding profusely from his forehead; after this incident, the officer calls an ambulance and Alex is taken to the hospital.

The morning after his drunken escapade, Alex wakes up both hungover and concussed. As he begins processing what has happened, his parents begin reacting. Alex’s mother, Janet, is relieved he is okay; Simon, Alex’s father, is immediately critical of her reaction and starts arguing with Janet about having liquor at the house. Thankfully, a nurse walks in, ending the argument.

Alex is relieved when the doctor comes in to explain what is happening to him: Alex has a “significant case of alcohol poisoning” (15) on top of the concussion and cut from hitting his head on the steering wheel of the car. After the doctor visit, Alex pretends to sleep to avoid listening to his parents, who eventually give up and leave him to rest.

As a consequence for Alex’s drunk driving accident and pending court date, his mother grounds him. Alex spends his first day at home practicing guitar on his “real American Fender Telecaster with a beautiful sunburst finish” (18) that had been a gift from his father after the divorce. After some hours playing, Alex goes upstairs to find his mother in the kitchen; she questions him about “WHY [he] got drunk” (20). Alex argues back about his situation as the only child in a bad divorce. His mother explains the terms of his grounding.

The first day in school, “the most obnoxious guy in the junior class” (24), Bryan Gilson, immediately begins making fun of Alex’s forehead scar. Luckily for Alex, his best friend, Laurie, arrives and gets Bryan to leave Alex alone. As soon as Bryan turns away, Laurie begins yelling at Alex about how stupid his actions were. Alex thinks about how grateful he is to have Laurie as a friend: She’s a petite, blonde girl who “looks exactly like Tinker Bell” (27) but dresses in goth clothes and is an expert in karate. 

Alex suffers through 30 days of being grounded, entertaining himself by ignoring his father’s emails and calls, and avoiding Laurie. Finally, Alex gets his “day in court” (33), wearing his “only suit” (33) and a pair of uncomfortable dress shoes. He is very nervous and doesn’t completely trust his lawyer, who is also his uncle. His anxiety heightens as he watches his mother greet the judge—Judge Trent—as if they are friends.

When the trial begins, Alex is shocked to hear his uncle propose that they move immediately to a plea bargain, which Judge Trent agrees to. Alex is stressed by the fast pace, and when the judge takes a break before delivering her sentence, Alex’s uncle explains that because it is Alex’s first offense, he won’t have anything terrible done to him: He’ll probably just get his license “a year or two late” (39). Alex is upset by this news and has a short outburst; the judge hears him and leans over his shoulder to mention how much she hates drunk driving.