60 Days With Ben

Chapter 6

Benjamin

4th Day

One of the disadvantages of being paraplegic is that you have to rely on someone for everything. That someone was definitely my mother. She was my legs and sometimes my arms. My father gave up on me some time ago, so I also decided to give up on him. Not that we spend all the time arguing, but his lack of interest in me was because something that he realized: I make no effort to recover. He is not wrong, I rarely struggle.

Mom helps me out of the car, the chair is already in a position that makes it easy for me to sit, I hold in the door and push myself, my mother's arms are under mine, my other hand I put on the armrest. Mom drives me, and I do the same with the force of my arms. I sit down, and my mother gasps and wipes the sweat that runs from her forehead. A big effort for a woman who already looked tired, but she is always around, never stops helping me. And I am very grateful to her for that.

We have an adapted car with a ramp, but today it is in the workshop for maintenance.

A group of girls near the school wall look at me curiously. Before they looked at me with desire, today I am seen as a freak. Some of them feel sorry for me, which I find worse than being seen as a freak.

I feel their eyes on me again as my mother guides my wheelchair. I already know what they must be thinking: He's handsome, it's a pity he's paraplegic. This is one of the disadvantages, let's say girls are not very attracted to a guy who relies on a wheelchair to get around.

Mom lowers her face, trying to place a kiss on my cheek. I turn my face, trying to avoid this embarrassment in public.

"Mom, not here. Ok?" she crosses her arms, staring at me with indignation.

"Don't you want to show others how an affectionate and loving child you are?"

"Mom, please," I bowed my head, feeling embarrassed.

"Ok! Do you want help getting into school?"

"No need, I will figure out," I answered, seeing Carla leaning against the school gate. She was trying to fix her blond hair while the wind did the work of messing it up. Carla definitely had an angel face, and I wanted to look at her more closely. "Bye, mom," I pushed the button, turning on the chair, heading towards Carla.

I deviated from some students along the way, begging Carla not to leave in the meantime. I arrived in time for her not to do that.

"Hello!" I greeted her. I was sure I saw Carla rolling her eyes. She instinctively looked down and her face showed that she did not like my presence there. Or rather, she did not like me.

"What do you want?" She asked, with a pissed voice.

"Good morning, hello. How are you doing, Benjamin? I'm fine, thanks for caring," Carla faked a laugh.

"What do you want with Elle anyway?" I looked at the girl a little puzzled. I did not like the way she pronounced the question.

"To do the English assignment. What more could I want with her anyway?" I replied. Carla was suddenly silent. The attention of her eyes now shifted to a boy who entered the school.

He was a skinny guy with a pimply face, his brown hair was badly combed, and I could clearly see his dental braces as he smiled at Carla.

"So that's the kind of guy you like?"

"Go to hell, Benjamin!" She snapped, heading towards the boy.

I shrugged and followed my path to the classroom. Elle was already there, with her traditional ponytail, her huge glasses covering most of her face, and her unmistakable sweet scent all over the room, breaking into the classroom.