Wheels

Chapter 5

I had a million thoughts rushing threw my head why me? Are they trying to scare me? Who did this?
On my locker was a note that read "You know your a loser when your best friend is a crippled boy!"
I ripped the note off and crumpled it up right as Clyde asked me "What was that?"
"Uhh nothing" I said while tossing the paper in the trash.
"Ready to go to the library?" I asked
"Yeah, be right back forgot something in my locker." He said nervously
"Ok I'll meet you outside." I said while walking to the front entrance.
What's wrong with him? He's acting strange...
***
I was outside for about 10 minutes just waiting. Did he leave? Where is he? What did he forget his whole locker?! I walked back inside to his locker and he wasn't there. My stomach dropped...
But he said he'll never stand me up...
Something must've happened I walked down the empty abandoned halls.
He must've left I put my back against the wall and slid down and sat there. I thought we were friends. The halls were quite when I heard crying... I jumped up and noticed it was coming from the boys bathroom. I knocked on the door...
"Hello are you okay?"
"Go away..." I heard someone cry, it was Clyde!
I ran inside and saw him on he ground not in his wheelchair but on the ground!
"Clyde!" I yelled while running to his side
"What happened?!"
He didn't say anything just cried I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him up so that we could have a proper hug.
After about 5 minutes of comforting the crying had stopped and he finally said "how did you find me?"
"I- I thought you left me so I came back inside and saw that you weren't here I sat down for a second then I heard you cry." I told him.
"Do you mind helping me back in my chair?" He asked.
"Sure" I stood up while he sat there I lifted him up and quickly carried him to his chair.
"Thanks" he said while adjusting in his seat and fixing his glasses. He then pointed to the door "to the library!" I laughed and began to follow behind him. He sure changed his mood quickly.
There was nothing to talk about and I figured this would be the best time to ask why he's in his wheelchair.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Everything ok?" He said while stopping.
"Everything's fine I just wanna ask and you don't have to answer if you don't want to but how did you end up in your wheelchair?"
He smiled "you don't have to be afraid to ask and I was 10, I was in the front yard with my dog his ball went into the street so naturally I put his leash on and connected it to the fence so he wouldn't follow me and when I went into the road I heard a loud horn and a screeching sound I looked behind me and I blacked out. The car hit me the doctors thought I wouldn't live but I surprised them, but the cost of that was paralyzed in the legs down and I've been in the chair ever since." He said shrugging like no big deal. I felt a tear start to form in my eye.
"Hey hey no crying I've made enough people cry not you to." He said teasingly.
"I want to push you." I told him that totally came out wrong I thought
"Excuse me?" He said
"No no not like that, I meant in your chair I want to push you around." I said giggling while wiping the tears away.
"Woah never been treated like this.." He said excited
"Well I guess I'm your first."
He started to laugh,
"You know what I mean!" I stated
***
You'd think pushing a skinny guy around in a wheel chair is easy but hey when we reached those hills it was torture.
"Look there's the library!" He said while pointing.
"Finally." I huffed
"Let me take over." Then he leaned forward and started pushing himself up the handicap ramp.
"See that wasn't hard." He said
"For you." I mumbled
I'm guessing he heard because he started laughing "come on let's go inside and work on those lines."
***
After working on the lines for an hour I realized how good of an actor Clyde is.
"You really are good at this" I said breaking character.
"I mean there's not much else to do." He said shrugging.
"Attention everyone are local jazz band who usually performs on Wednesdays cancelled so if anyone wants to come up and show everyone what you got be our guest." The librarian announced.
"Isn't a library suppose to be quite?" Clyde asked.
"I guess not this one..."
"Wait I have an idea the one thing your lacking is stage comfort." He told me.
"What?"
"You've said the one thing you can't do is sing in front of an audience so-"
"Oh no I am not singing!"
"Oh yes you are." He said while taking my hand and leading me up on the mini stage.
"Hi I'm Clyde and this is my friend Claire and we'll be singing a duet."
"What song?" The librarian asked
He glanced over at me.
"Umm just give me a reason." I said
That was the first song that came to mind.
He smiled
"You're lucky I know this one."
The music queued in and I had to sing the first verse. I began to sing, hesitation running through me but I managed to get the first verse out now it was time for the chorus part.
We both began singing and honestly he had an amazing voice.
I felt like if we just stood there the whole time it would be boring so I had to use my stage presence so I began walking towards him and we did the classic dance move where we walked around each other while focusing on the other person. It was so cheesy. He then sang his verse and it was flawless he hit all the notes. Then we finished it off with the ending chorus and I walked while he rolled closer to each other. Then I froze forgot everything I was doing because when I looked out into the audience I saw Craig with his tutor eyeing Clyde while he snapped a pencil. I saw this as an opportunity so when he hit the last note I walked over to him a gave him a kiss on his cheek. He froze and looked at me while i looked at him we both smiled like crazy and I felt my cheeks burn up and he was as red as red can be.
With the little crowd we had they seemed to enjoy us because they were cheering and clapping and it was official Clyde has not only taken me on an amazing experience but has also made me fearless of my fear of singing in public. I couldn't wait for that audition!