A/N: So I wouldn't get scolded for not updating, I sat at my computer all Sunday and finished this. It's gonna come back and bite me later when I'm up late doing school work, but oh well. Again, thank you for everyone who has been supporting this story - you guys are great. :)
After dinner, Tina and I hung around with my family around the campfire. Nora sat with my mother on a log while dad kneeled in front of the fire, tending as needed. Twiddling her thumbs in her lap, Tina sat on the ground with her back against my left wheel. She let me keep her hair in my lap as I amused myself, twirling sections of it between my fingers. When she started to pat a beat on her thighs, I knew she was getting restless from just sitting there, so I proposed a hike before it got too dark.
Tina pushed aside a thorn branch, which would have nailed me in the face otherwise, as we entered the mouth of the trail. Not long after, she got behind the chair to aid with my mobility. She was always so sweet about always helping me around, but sometimes I just wanted to roll and talk with her side by side – it was a lot easier on the neck.
"Here, I got it." I said taking a hold of one of her hands and leading her to the right of me. She held onto my hand for a second before awkwardly letting go. Whenever I saw Finn or even Puck with a significant other at school holding hands as they walked to class, I always envied their ability to perform such a simple public display of affection.
"You sure?" She asked bringing both hands in front of her as he continued down the trail.
"Tina, I don't think I've powered this thing myself since we got here." I laughed.
"Fine, fine." She smiled, loosely placing her left arm over the back of my shoulders. Sure I couldn't hold her hand, but this was second best.
The forest was beautiful, especially with the descending sun flickering though the treetops. Wildflowers, in every color of the rainbow, lined the path in patches. One blossom, however, caught my eye over the rest in an assortment to my left. Taking a firm grip on my wheels, I came to an immediate halt. As Tina took one step on her own, I reached over to the plant and took the stem between my fingers. Realizing that I stopped, she turned around to face me. By then I had the flower in my lap and I rolled the smooth stem between my thumb and pointer finger.
"Is everything alright?" She asked squatting down to the side of me.
"It matches the streaks in your hair." I shyly said displaying the purple flower in front of my chest before holding it out to her.
"It does, doesn't it?" Tina smiled, copying the way I held the flower before tucking it behind her ear.
The trail led us to a clearing that was more then seventy-five percent covered in water – a pond with a small man-made dock that extended no more then ten feet. The sky was now perfectly visible, and the setting orange sun reflected on the surface of the water.
"Come." Tina said sliding her hand down my arm as she made her way up the length of the dock. Slowly, making sure I was clear on both sides, I rolled my way to the edge where Tina was seated. Her yellow lace less Converse sneakers were piled next to her and her bare toes, painted eggshell blue, skimmed the surface of the water. Simultaneously, I curved my arm around the back of her neck as she leaned on my left armrest and placed the side of her face on her forearm.
"How about a swim before the sun sets?" She asked tucking her knees to her chest and standing up.
"I don't think so, Tina." I said, shaking my head and making a face.
"Oh why not?" She protested, placing her hands on her hips.
"Because…it's getting dark. We should be heading back anyways." I said making an excuse to cover up the fact that I haven't tried to swim since the accident that left me paralyzed. Placing her hand on my shoulder, she walked to the front of me until she was straddling my feet. When she took off my glasses and neatly tucked them in her shoe, I thought she was going to kiss me, but boy was I wrong. Instead, she got behind my chair, pushed it to the very edge, and tipped me into the water. Even though it was the equivalent of pushing an able-bodied person into the water, I couldn't help but be a little mad at Tina for taking advantage of me as I floated upwards.
"Artie, you're doing it!" She smiled.
"You could have killed me." I choked, spitting out half a cup of pond water.
"Details, details." She said, pulling her shirt over her head, revealing her gray under-wire bra, before jumping in after me. I closed my eyes in preparation of her splash, but it was unnecessary because she landed five or so feet away from me. Re-submerging herself under the water, Tina swam over to me, and when she came up again, her soggy hair covered half her face. Giggling at her misfortune, I pushed the mass of purple and back where it belonged with one hand while keeping afloat with the other.
With a charming smile, she pushed herself forward and tilted her head to the right. I copied her movement and swooped my bottom lip under hers. We created a slow rhythmic pattern between our lips – making it a perfect and affectionate kiss. She made me feel so special – being in the water with her almost made me forget that I was paralyzed.
"Come to the bottom with me." She said, in an enthusiastic tone, as she pulled away.
Tina was the first to plunge under, and with a gasp of air to fill my lungs I copied her technique. The water was a little murky, and it didn't help that my glasses were up on shore, but I was still able to see fairly well. Her hair stirred with the flow of the water, which made her look both wild and radiant at the same time. She caught me staring and giggled, letting a few bubbles float to the top from her nose, before starting to swim downwards.
It was a short swim considering where we were wasn't any deeper then ten feet. Fish of many shades of brown, red, and yellow swam past my face as I followed Tina down to the bottom of the pond. Once at our destination, she lingered at the plant and rock covered bottom and waited for me to catch up. I became curious of why she wanted to take me down there so badly, especially when she gripped her arms tightly around my waist. The weight of the both of us caused sinking, and just as I began to wonder if Tina was trying to drown me, we stopped. She looked down, I followed her gaze, and sure enough – I was standing. I felt like if I smiled any bigger, I'd drown right there in her arms. Of course it wasn't perfect, quite awkward looking if I might add, but it was what it was.
"I wanna thank you." I said as we retreated back down the dock, both dripping wet.
"For what?" She asked ringing out her hair.
"Everything." I shrugged.
"Not very specific now, are we?" She laughed.
"It's not everyday that I get to add something to the list that I can do, you know."