Wheelchair Accessible

Part Eight

I stopped at the intersection, waiting for the light to change to green, as I drummed my fingers against the steering wheel, bobbing my head to the music. I hadn't turned on the radio in my truck in weeks, but today I found myself brushing the dust off the volume button.

                "Are you going to tell me where we're going?" Ryder asked, practically bouncing in his seat, the only thing holding him down was the seatbelt strapped across his chest.

"I told you. To hang out with Shawna.

"But where?" 

"403 Paxton Lane." 

"But what are we doing?" 

"Hanging out with Shawna." 

"Ugh," he groaned, falling back into his seat. "You're so annoying." 

I laughed, turning right at the next corner. "I have no clue what's happening. She just sent me an address."

We drove another couple blocks and I turned left, rereading the street name a couple of times to make sure we were in the right place. Looking around, I pulled into a parking spot and turned off the engine. "You ready?" I turned to Ryder but he was already out, shutting the passenger door behind him. 

                I caught up to him just as he stepped through the front doors into the warm lobby, and spotted Shawna and her curly-haired friend, Allison, waiting for us.

                "Shawna!" Ryder smiled, rushing over to her and ignoring all formalities. "What are we doing?"

                "Why don't we go see?" she smiled, wiggling her eyebrows. She spun her chair around and Ryder excitedly followed her down one of the hallways.

I took a few steps forward, but hovered next to Shawna's friend. "Uh, hey," I nodded.

                "How's it going?" she chuckled. "I see you've given into Shawna's charms."

                I blinked, "Um... what?"

                "I just mean that once she's set on making someone her friend... they're going to be her friend," she laughed, waving her hand. "Come on, let's go catch up to them." 

                I rubbed the back of my neck and followed after her, staying a few steps behind so I didn't have to make any more awkward small talk. But if she was friends with Shawna, and if I was going to be friends with Shawna, I'm sure I was going to have to get used to having her around.

We dodged around some other people walking through the large building and turned to push open the big double doors, stepping into a gymnasium with basketball nets. And there in front of me was Shawna in her wheelchair...

                And my little brother in one, too.

                He was grinning so widely that a part of me was worried his face would split."Mark, we're playing wheelchair basketball!"

                Allison grabbed two more wheelchairs from where they were lined up at the side and rolled one to me before plopping herself into her own. She rolled around and turned with ease, so I figured she must've done this before. She rolled towards Ryder and introduced herself to him, and he smiled big, showing her how he could already push himself foward.

                I slowly lowered myself into the chair, shifting so that I was comfortable and placing my feet on the platform.

Shawna rolled over to me, a big grin plastered onto her face. "I told you I'd let you ride in one."