Wheelchair Accessible

Part Four

"Okay, before I verify this friendship—"

                "You need to verify it?"

                "—you need to pass a couple of tests."

                Shawna and I had continued down the path a little further because she wanted to head towards an ice cream vendor that she knew on the other side of the park. I had come to the conclusion that I would comply with whatever she wanted to do because if she was willing to be my friend after the way I had acted, then I owed her big time.

                I looked at her from the corner of my eye, watching her push her wheels over and over. "Tests?" I questioned, a little distracted.

                I wonder how hard it is to use one of those things?

                "Yep. Tie my shoe."

                "What? No."

                Shawna smiled. "Perfect. Test number one was a pass."

                I lifted an eyebrow, confused. "That was your test?" Then I looked down at her feet, "But you're wearing sandals..."

                "I don't like it when people treat me different because of my disability, you know?"

                "Well, I don't know personally."

                She chuckled and then turned her right wheel so that we took a left.

Using a wheelchair didn't look so hard. I bet I could do it.

                 Eventually, we arrived at the ice cream cart and stood (...er, sat?) in line behind a teenage couple, probably about our age, on what I would assumed was a date. The girl looked up at the boy like he was her hero as he slung an arm around her shoulders, making her cheeks turn red. When they reached the front of the line they both ordered their ice cream and then they argued over who was paying until the boy won and handed over the money.

                "That's sweet of him," Shawna murmured from beside me. I held back an eye roll as they left the line and gave each other a lick of their ice cream.

That's how diseases spread, people.

                "Shawna, my favorite customer!" The bearded, middle-aged man cheered as soon as he realized we were his next customers. "How's it going, girly?"

                "Oh, just great," Shawna told him with a grin. "I'll get my usual and whatever tough guy over here wants."

                The man noticed me standing there and looked me over, "A friend of yours?"

                "Newly acquired."

                "I see," he eyed me again. "So, what'll it be?"

                "Uh, nothing. I'm good." I said slowly, eyeing him back. Why was he looking at me like I was some sort of predator? I know I'm a bigger, footballer type, but did I really look that scary? I mean, my hair is blond, how scary can I be?

                "Pfft," Shawna scoffed. "Lame. He'll get a double cone, with one cookie dough and one bubblegum."

                I tried to protest, because I didn't even like chewing gum but Shawna wouldn't hear it. So I waited while she and the man chatted like old friends and I stared at my old roughed-up sneakers. The man handed me my cone and a napkin and then passed Shawna's to her. "That'll be nine fifty, please."