Disabled.

Forty-Six

Forty-Six

In the days that followed, Nadia barely got to see the real Mason; the Mason that had quickly become her closest friend. Instead of the Mason who was usually full of life and always happy around her, he was now just a shell; the only thing resembling him being his outward appearance. 

She was now in the mall, shopping with Mandy on the weekend. And as they moved from store to store, she found herself thinking about Mason more and more. Mandy's voice sounded far away as she tried to think of how she could help him as he mourned the death of his father. 

If she was him, what would she need from a friend?

She was forced to look at Mandy as her voice was suddenly loud.

"Is anyone at home?" Mandy whispered in her ear as she gently knocked on the side of her head as if it was a door. Nadia held her wrist as she tried to hit her head again.

"Sorry, did you say something?" she asked, still distracted by her thoughts.

Mandy stood up straight as she continued to look at her.

"You've been distracted the whole time. Is something wrong?" Mandy asked, a worried expression painted over her face. Nadia sighed.

"No, I just can't stop worrying about Mason," she told Mandy. Mandy's lips curved into a small smile.

"I really want to help him out but I don't know what to do."

"I don't know what it's like being him but I can tell that he really likes it when you're around him and I think staying by his side as he goes through this is the best thing you can do," Mandy said.

"Why do you say that?" Nadia asked.

"When you guys weren't talking for a while, I noticed that he barely smiled or laughed. But after you started talking again, I saw how his face would light up when you were around. I have to admit it's pretty cute seeing that you have that effect on him."

Nadia couldn't hold back the smile that took over her lips as she heard Mandy's words. She had to admit that she felt flattered to hear that she had noticed how Mason acted around her. With her thoughts came the memory of him confessing his feelings for her during the Christmas party and she wondered if he still felt the same wayk. 

After spending some time trying to decipher how she felt about him, she came to the conclusion that she had feelings for him too. And after speaking with Mrs Cooper at the memorial service, she was now ready to move on from Jackson. But after what Mason had just gone through, she didn't think that now was the best time. And she was okay with that--she was willing to wait until he felt ready. 

They were passing a Build-A-Bear Workshop when Mandy stopped.

"Don't tell me that you suddenly want to build a bear," Nadia said, hoping that she would say no because they were too old for that. Mandy simply smiled at her.

"Yeah but not for me," Mandy replied as she walked to stand behind Nadia and holding on to the push handles and pushing her into the store, "for Mason."   

---

The next morning at school, Nadia was at her locker when she noticed Mason walking over to his locker. Her lips turned into a small smile as she watched him open his locker. He reached inside and took out the teddy bear that she had built for him, removing the small envelope that she had attached to it.

He opened it and pulled out the card before reading it. 

She closed her locker and pushed herself towards him, remembering the words that she had written in the card: