Teach Them to Love

Off Limits - 1

(Gecko's POV)
Dressed in: my red dolly flats; my black skinny jeans; my black floral crop top; my black bowler hat and my red back pack I was sitting in the back seat of my big brother, Newt's, car with my services dog, Axle, applying deep pressure to my lap whilst lying the rest of his body on the two spear seats next to me.

I was waiting for Newt to return from Sydney Airport with our guest for the next 2 weeks. Newt's friend, Hari, from when he studied in Thailand was coming to spend 2 weeks with Newt. Hari didn't know that when Newt moved back to Australia it was because my health was decreasing and our parents couldn't be my primary care givers anymore so Newt and I had to move in together.

I must have fell asleep whilst waiting for them because the next thing I here is the slamming shut of Newt's old rundown car's boot waking me up. "Morning sunshine." Newt mocked as he settled in the driver's seat with his friend, Hari, in the passenger seat next to him.

"Hari this is my sister, Gecko, Gecko this is my friend, Hari." Newt introduced me to Hari.

"Hey, cute dog, he has similar markings to my dog." Hari compliments.

"He hasn't heared that one before, most people are intimidated by him. So you have a doberman too?" I smiled.

"No mine's a chihuahua but similar markings. What's his name?"

I giggled a bit before answering "Axle, what's your dog's name?"

"Muffin." He laughed.

"Cute." I giggled back.

"Hey! My sister is off limits pal." Newt barked.

"So where are we going first?" Hari asked.

"Our beach house in Bondi." I answered.

"How far is it?" Hari asked.

"About 18 minutes away, why?" Newt questioned.

"I'm just tired." Hari leaned his head against the window.

After the short drive back home Newt carried me insied and placed me on the couch before going back to wake up his friend and help him carry his bags inside. The plan was to get Hari settled in his room before going to the beach later.

"Morning handsome." I giggled as Hari came through the door with the majority of his bags.

"Don't encourage him." Newt scolded me as he folowed with the rest of Hari's bags.

"Cute photo, is it you and your boyfriend?" Hari picked up a photo of me and my brother.

The photo was my brother giving me a piggyback ried on bondi beach, it was taken by our father on a trip to bondi when we lived in Hobart. I was 13 and he was 14 when the photo was taken.

I hadn't changed much from then other than my hair was a little longer now because I was going through a pixie cut phase back when the photo was taken. My brother, on the other hand, had changed a lot because he grew a beard since the photo was taken.

"I wish." I giggled. "I've never had a boyfriend." I sighed and took the photo from Hari. "This is me and Newt." I point out.

"I find that hard to believe." Hari huffed.

"What, that underneath all that fur is a baby faced 22 year old?" I teased.

Newt hit me playfully on my arm before placing the photo back where it belonged. He then slumped on to the couch next to me and pulled my feet onto his lap before he started rubbing them.

"No I meant I find it's hard to believe that you've never had a boyfriend." Hari explained.

"Easy tiger, there's a reason why she's never had a boyfriend." Newt threatened Hari.

"Yeah I have an over protective big brother." I laughed.

"Shut it you." Newt tickled my feet.

"Stop it! You're making it worse." I giggled and hissed in pain.

"They're still not waking up for you?" Newt worried.

"I'll be fine when we hit the beach. Can you help me to my bedroom, so I can get changed." I asked Newt.

"Sure, arms around my neck princess." Newt instructed me.

"Axle follow" I commanded Axle as I did as told.

"Good boy, Axle tug" I point at the rope on my bedroom door as Newt carries me bridal style.

"Good boy, Axle follow." I finally enter my room and Newt set me down gently on my bed.

"What's wrong with her?" I heard Hari ask Newt as he left my room.

"There's nothing "wrong" with my hearing, but there will be something "wrong" with yours if you listen to the whole bloody list." I used air quotes.

I hated when someone said there was something "wrong" with me or that there was something "not right" about me or that I was not "normal" but what is "normal"?

"I'm sorry, I was just curious." Hari looked like a deer caught in head lights when I rolled towards him after transferring from my bed into my wheelchair.

There was no point in bringing it with me to the airport since I didn't plan on leaving the car so Newt carried me too and from the car and I kept my wheelchair "parked" by my bed.

"It's fine, If you really want to know I'll tell you." I forgave Hari

I'm probably the first wheelchair user he's met, it's common to mess up the first time and say derogatory terms like handicapped and cripple.

"I was diagnosed with hyper mobility at 6 years old, I was diagnosed with knock knees at 8, I was diagnosed with knee dysplasia at 14 and hip dysplasia at 16 and I developed chronic pain syndrome at 15 after a complex operation." I list.

"Ooh and you have a wired extra bone in your thumb!" Newt pitched in.

"Thanks Newt, would you like to tell him about my learning difficulties too?" I huffed.

"No because you're an amazing writer despite it." Newt knocked my bowler hat off my head and messed up my hair affectionately.

"Newt." I warn in a low voice.

"Run!" Newt grabbed Hari.

"You better run bowling pin, it took me 3 hours to straighten my hair." I rolled after them to the bottom of the stairs forcing them up.

"She hasn't trained Axle to attack, right?" Hari worried.

"Probably not." Newt shrugged to tease Hari.