Wheels

Chapter 3

I was walking down the halls when I saw Ashley Ray with the other two most popular girls in the school. Mackenzie and Emma. Mackenzie was the most popular girl in the school. Ashley and Emma were her little followers that copied her every step.
I walked past them avoiding eye contact.
They laughed when I passed and I heard Emma say "hey Ashley how was Craig?"
Ashley then laughed and said "oh he's just the best kisser ever." She laughed
I felt sick to my stomach I started running down the halls and made a quick turn down a side hall when I saw Craig. I bumped into someone and when I looked it was Clyde.
"I'm so sorry." I said while picking up his books that had fallen out of his hands.
"It's all good." He said taking the books I handed him.
"I couldn't help but notice before you rammed into me that your clearly were running from someone." He mentioned
"Yeah it's a long story." I told
"I have time, I mean a boy in a wheelchair basically has all the time he needs" He laughed
"Well okay..." I then told him everything that happened from being stood up, the skate park, and the popular girls.
"Oh wow that sounds awful." He said
"Yeah it definitely wasn't the best experience."
"How about i make it up to you."
I gave him a confused look.
"I want you to come and try out for the play with me." He smiled
"But it's only the first day?" I said
"I know but it's a call out meeting and not much teens go everyone's to busy trying to loose weight to fit into there cheerleading clothes and old football jerseys."
"But I can't act." I mentioned
"Have you ever been a play?" He asked
"No but I don't see your point"
"My point is you won't know if you can't act unless you get up and do it in front of an audience." He smiled while looking at me.
"Okay fine but this isn't a date." I said
"I know but if it was you should know I'll never let you get stood up. Meet me at my locker at the end of the day." He then smiled and rolled off to his class
"Who's that?" I heard someone whisper into my ear.
I jumped while turning around to be faced with Craig.
"Please don't sneak up on me like that again." I sighed.
"I just came here to apologize for yesterday." He said taking my hands.
I pulled my hands away.
"Please don't stay mad at me." He begged.
"Why did you do it? Why did you kiss Ashley!?" I asked sternly.
"I didn't mean to..."
"Just answer the question!" I said a little louder.
"I don't really have an answer She texted me saying meet her at the skate park I went then she kissed me."
"But you didn't stop her."
"Yeah your right but I'm glad I didn't now I know your the one I want to be with." He said taking my hands.
I pulled away once again and said
"I can't be dating someone who goes around kissing other girls to make sure his girlfriend is the "right" one for him. You should just know!"
"Babe-"
"Don't "babe" me."
"Come on forgive me."
"I don't forgive you and I probably won't for awhile so you need to prove to me that you still care about me, about us." I said
"Fine I will but you still didn't answer my first question."
"Are you serious right now I literally met him about 10 minutes ago, unlike you, you don't have to worry about me going around kissing other people." I said while walking away. To be honest that felt great, I was so glad I got that off my chest.
I checked the clock and I had 5 minutes to get to science which was on the other side of the building.
***
Once I arrived with still a minute to spare I had to find a seat and with just my luck the only seat available was a seat next to Ashley. I didn't even look her in the eyes I just sat and pulled out my journal.
"You know how good Craig kisses" she laughed.
I was gonna say something when the teacher walked in while the bell rang
"Ha! Just on time." He looked like one of those teachers that was on the edge of loosing his job so did whatever it took to keep it.
That class was gonna be a breeze, science was my best class. As the time passed I couldn't help but think of the call out meeting with Clyde.
"Claire do you know the answer?" Mr. Wells asked
"Umm" I looked at the board and saw we were reviewing from last year oh easy.
"C"
"Correct" he said while placing a sticker on my science journal. What is this elementary school?
***
Now that the first half of the day was over it was time for lunch. I walked down to my locker and looked at the combo once more and opened it surprisingly without a problem. I was walking to lunch when I heard some laughing. I turned the hall and saw Craig circling around something laughing at whatever it was.
"Craig?" I asked
"Oh hey babe."
I shot him a look
"Sorry I'll start over hey Claire."
"What are you laughing at?" I asked
"Well his morning I saw his dweeb talking to you so I thought I should teach him a lesson." Then Craig and his best friend ,Mitch, moved over so I could see who they were laughing at. It was Clyde. I ran over to him.
"What the hell are you doing?!" I yelled.
"Teaching him a lesson"
"I can't talk to a guy but you can kiss other girls?!" I yelled
He didn't say anything.
I ran next to Clyde he looked sick.
"Are you okay?" I asked
He was shaking like crazy looking in all directions. I noticed he didn't have his glasses. I walked over to Craig and saw him holding his glasses.
"Are you kidding me!" I yelled
"We're just having fun..."
"No! You are picking on a harmless person!" I let out all my anger and slapped him right across the face.
"We're Through!" I yelled while taking the glasses from him.
"Go away!" I yelled to Craig and his friends when all they did was stand around.
They immediately left while I ran back to Clyde.
"Here." I said while putting his glasses on him.
"Your boyfriends crazy." He said while shaking.
"Ex."
"Huh?"
"Craig's not my boyfriend anymore."
"Oh." He said while smiling.
"Come on let's go eat lunch." I suggested
"Okay let's go." We both went down the halls and to the lunch room.
The lunch room was packed all tables were filled besides for one in the back corner by the trash cans.
"Could be worse." He said while rolling over there with me following behind.
When we got there it was much worse there was no chairs and it smelled.
For Clyde no chairs wasn't a problem but for me it was. I glanced around and noticed a empty chair by all the jocks.
I slowly walked up to them and asked.
"Can I use this chair?"
"Whatever." They mumbled
"Thanks."I said while dragging the chair to my table.
"That worked better than I thought" Clyde said.
"That's what I was thinking." I mumbled.
"So let's get to know each other better in a non creepy way." He said with his cheeky smile.
"Ok well my names Claire Tucker, I am 15 years old I have lived in Michigan my whole life and I have two brothers."
"Ah okay I'll go, my names Clyde Johnson, I am also 15, I have lived in 3 different states Missouri, Ohio, and Michigan, and I am an only child. Oh and this is my first year in Michigan" He said with a smile.
The rest of the lunch was a breeze we mostly talked about school, classes, and the callout meeting.
There was still one question I really wanted to ask but I didn't have the nerve to and that was what caused him to get in the chair. I can't just ask him It'll be to awkward.
"Well I need to get an early start to my last class the halls get packed as soon as that bell rings and it's hard to get around when there's hundreds of teens pushing around a kid in a wheelchair." He laughed while rolling off leaving me by myself.
***
I was sitting in choir, my best friend who moved this summer forced me to join choir said it'll be fun, which was also my last class when I finally heard it the bell. I practically ran down the halls to my locker surprisingly I was super excited for this callout meeting. I opened my locker and slammed it shut and crossed the hall to see Clyde close his locker and roll around to face me.
"You ready?" He said while smiling
"Let's go" I said while walking next to him down the halls to the auditorium.