Baby Deyes: A Zalfie Fanfiction

Week Twenty Four: Bruises and Bright Blue Socks

"Ow!"
Alfie tutted as he set me upright again and handed me my left crutch. After being on bed rest for the rest of Sunday and Monday, I decided Tuesday morning was the time to stop relying on Alfie to carry me everywhere and I learn how to use my crutches. However, it wasn't going as well as planned.
I'd spent three hours falling over, forty minutes of sobbing as I landed on my bad ankle, and another three rubbing bruises.
"They chafe my hands... So much..." I groaned, rubbing my palms to soothe the aching flesh.
"I heard putting socks over them works."
"Over my hands, Alfie?" I asked irritably. "Yeah, that's really going to work. Not inconvenient AT ALL."
"No." Alfie said patiently. "Over the handle things."
He ran out of the room. I took another step and tumbled over as one crutch slid to the right.
"Here you go, I - Oh, Zoe."
He picked me up again and placed the handles inside the bright blue socks, fastening them with rubber bands. I took ANOTHER tentative step and felt my hands pressing into thick cotton instead of ridged plastic. It was a welcome relief.
Alfie, as always, had balanced his camera on the table and vlogged my embarrassment. But as I took steps - or rather hops - in little circles around the kitchen, I felt my hands grip the handles easier and not slide off as they had before.
"Alfie! Alfie look, I'm doing it!" I squealed excitedly, hopping in little circles.
"Well done, Zoe. You truly are talented." Alfie said sarcastically.
"You try then!" I held out my crutches and sat down. Alfie deftly balanced himself and hopped around the kitchen at speed.
"How do you do that?" I asked, amazed.
"I fell out of a lot of trees as a child." Alfie said smugly.
"Alfieeee!"
"What? You can't blame me for being brilliant." He handed my crutches back. "We probably ought to start to edit this vlog now, or we'll never get it done, what with your brilliance."
I tapped a few buttons on the camera and handed it to Alfie. "There you go." I kissed him gently. Kelsey kicked me furiously.
"Baby doesn't like that, does she?" Alfie laughed.
"It hurts!" I whined. "She's hitting a nerve or something. If this isn't even as bad as the birth I'm screwed."

Guys and gals, I am so intensely sorry about not updating. My 10 HOUR ART EXAM was yesterday (well, half of it, with the rest on Tuesday) and I have a load of essays and my Ancient History exams in mid-June, as well as having to learn and semi-direct and design costumes for my Drama GCSE Scripted CAT (we've been split into two groups and assigned Mermaid by Polly Teale - it's good but confusing because we've cut it down a LOT). Just a little bit busy then. I'm also fifteen in just under a month and so I'm having to book a trampolining place near my house and try and fit everyone in during late May i.e. just before the other exams start 😫) so that's also taking up a lot of time. I know I should stop making excuses but I'm also writing the next book in what I hope will be a three part series (this book, then when Kelsey's 2, then after a couple more children) which is hectic. But yes. Goodbye now.
Claudia out