Finding My Feet

Chapter Seven

I pull my knees up to my chest with my hands, happy that I can feel some sort of pressure on them. I had started leg therapy almost a month ago and I had been doing the stretches every chance that I got, which is why it worked so fast.
"You ready for school?" My mom asks as I climb into my wheelchair.
"Yeah, where's dad?" I ask.
I hadn't seen him since breakfast yesterday.
"He had to leave early again," my mom gives me an exhausted smile.
"You look dead, are you okay?" I follow her out the house.
She nods quickly, forcefully, as she helps me into the car.
I hadn't seen a lot of my dad lately since we moved here. If he had a better job, it would've been better hours.
"Maybe you should stay at home, you look sick," I suggest.
"I am at home today," she nods as she pulls off. "I have some things to do."
"Like?" I inquire.
"Your father and I have a few things to tell you once he's actually home," she frowns. "I just don't want it to affect anything."
"Mom, what is it?" I turn to her, putting my foot back on the car floor.
"Not now, Amber," she shakes her head. "Enjoy your day."
"Well you need to help me out," I scrunch my eyebrows.
"Oh right," she sighs, slowly putting the car off and opening the door.
"Hey aunt Helen."
"Reegan," my mom smiles as I groan. "You come as if an angel sent you."
"What can I do?" He asks.
"I'm so tired, please can you just get the wheelchair for Amber?" She asks and he nods. "It's in the back. You just fold it out."
He shuffles to the back and there's a few bumps.
"Don't you dare break my fucking wheelchair," I spit as he brings it around.
"I'm fine, thanks for asking," he mutters.
I shuffle my way into the wheelchair, locking the wheels into place so I don't move. I mumble a goodbye to my mom and she drives away.
"Where do you need to go?" He grips the handlebars.
"Oh no," I say, my eyes widening. "Oh no, no, no. You won't take me anywhere. I'm fine by myself."
"Don't be stubborn now, Bam. Your mom asked me to help so I am," he says.
"She asked you to fetch my wheelchair, that's it," I spit.
He sighs, letting go of the handlebars.
I unlock the wheelchair and wheel myself to the steps and suddenly I'm faced with the challenge that I had forgotten about. I force myself onto the low first step and suddenly feel like I'm slowly tipping.
"Please no, please no, no, no," I cry out, my arms flailing about.
"I told you to not be stubborn," Reegan puts me back onto the flat ground and then lifts me and the wheelchair onto the top of the steps.
"Okay fine," I sigh. "Thank you."
"Now, where do you need to go?" He asks again.
"Chemistry," he heads off in that classes' direction. "Avery isn't coming in today."
"I'll help you for today," he grins. "Is she sick?"
I smile, remembering how he was always interested in how my friends were. He was compassionate.
"No," I bite my lip to try hide the smile. "Her little sister is though and they couldn't get hold of the babysitter so she had to take care of her."
He nods, stopping in front of the door.
"I'm just down the hall. So just wait here and I'll help you to your next class," he gives me a small smile.
"Thank you," I say. "And I'm sorry."
"For?" A puzzled look crosses his features.
"Being such a bitch. I should've listened to you," I blurt out. "But you know how I am when I'm angry. And it just looked really really bad and I've gotten most of the story from two people now and to me, it seems like it's not like exactly exactly your fault. Most of it is her. So I'm sorry. I should've let you explain."
He has a hopeful grin on his face as he leans closer to me.
"I didn't mean to give you the wrong impression," I quickly turn my head the other way.
"What?" He asks.
"We aren't getting back together Reegs. I only apologized, there was no getting back together. I'm sorry if you thought that was what I implied," I sigh.
He runs his hands over his face before nodding, taking a few steps backwards.
"I'm sorry," I wince.
"Only a few classes away from you," he nods again before turning and speed walking down the hall.
I wheel myself to my seat, taking my phone out and going to Sage's video chat. I call her.
"Hey," she grins at me. "How are the legs? Feeling more than just a slight pressure?"
"I apologized to Reegs and he tried to kiss me," I tell her, my voice breaking.
"What?" She says, frowning now. "What did you even apologize for?"
"I told him that I'm sorry and I should've let him tell me his side and he must of taken it as an invite to get back together," I hiccup.
"Do you want to get back together with him?" I shrug. "Do you love him?"
"Of course I do and you know that. You can't just take feelings like that over a long period of time and throw it away," I say.
"So why not?" She gives me a small smile.
"Well what if he goes to her again?" I hiccup more, sniffing. "I love him but I don't trust him. And the way she acts isn't helping."
"It will be a brand new start, don't think of that anymore if you want to start over with him. You love him and I'm sure as hell he loves you cause you've seen how he deals with you, Amber," she lectures me. "Don't think of the past now, you know he would of never have done that if he was sober. And she spiked his drinks. You know him the best out of anyone and you know that he could never do that again."
I nod, wiping my face.
"I really love him, Sage," I squeeze my eyes shut. "I know that I told him to leave and we didn't speak for a few months but I knew I would see him again. And the thought of losing him forever frightens me."
"Tell him this," she sighs.
"I love him but I don't trust him," I murmur. "What's the point of starting over new if there is literally no trust?"
She gives me a sad look as I continue wiping my face.