Disabled.

Twenty-one

Twenty-one

Nadia silently pushed herself beside Mason as they walked to her house. She couldn't stop thinking of what Mason had told her about her disability. A large smile took over her face, accompanied by a warm feeling which filled her whole body.

"Don't let your disability define you Nadia. Sure it's now a part of your life but it doesn't have to control you. There's so much you can do if you don't allow it to rule your life."

She looked at him as her smile still remained, watching as he placed his hands in his pocket suddenly.

"Aren't you cold?" he asked her as he turned his head to look at her. She shook her head.

Strangely, she had forgotten about the fact that it was cold and that the snow was still falling as she looked at him. And suddenly, her heart began to beat quickly. She felt her hands begin to dampen despite the cold as she pushed herself. She began to push faster as her heart continued to beat quickly.

Why is this happening?, she asked herself as they got closer to her home.

"Wait for me," she heard Mason's voice from a distance. She stopped when she heard his voice and turned around to find that he was several feet away. She looked down to find that her hands were once again shaking for the second time that day.

"Why are you in such a hurry? I thought you weren't cold," Mason commented once he was close enough.

"I-I'm not," she replied, feeling nervous now that he was closer to her. He smiled at her.

"I'll push you then so we can get there faster," he said before holding onto the push handles.

And as he pushed, she was given the chance to focus on how she was feeling. She placed a hand on her fast beating heart.

Why was her heart beating so fast?

Was there something wrong with her heart?

Or...

Was it possible that she had feelings—

She stopped her trail of thoughts as soon as the last thought started, shaking her head in the process to ensure that the thought had disappeared.

She didn't like Mason like that.

He was just

a friend

Besides, 

how could she like someone else after what had happened with Jackson?

She dismissed her thoughts when they reached her house. She reached into her backpack which was on her lap to remove the house keys. And with still shaky hands, she opened the door and entered before asking Mason to do the same. She watched as he closed the door behind him and removed his shoes.

"Nadia is that you?" she heard her mother ask as she walked towards  the door. She appeared with a large smile on her face when she noticed that Mason was with her.

"Mason, I didn't know that you'd be coming today," she told him as she walked closer.

"Hi Mrs Portman. I thought Nadia had told you that we were coming," he replied.

"Oh that's right, she told me this morning but I must have forgotten. Anyways, it's nice to see you again," she said.

"It's nice to see you too."

And just as he finished speaking, the door opened behind them as her father arrived.

"Oh we have a guest?" he said as he noticed Mason.