"Clare," Helen Edwards started cautiously. "I think you should go back to school soon."
Clare Edwards, who had been sitting in her wheelchair watching The Sound of Music, looked up to her mother with bewilderment drawn all over her face. Helen bit her upper lip nervously. Clare merely stared with her mouth open, gaping.
"I just mean, you're going to go back sooner or later so why not now? Don't you want to catch up?" Helen said, trying to get Clare out of her stump.
Clare shook her head, blinking her eyes as if she was cleaning out her head. Slowly she came back to earth and answered shakily, "Of course, I'm just kind of anxious to go back, you know?" Helen nodded vigorously.
"So it's settled, you'll be going to school on Wednesday. I'll let you skip Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday will get you used to it."
Clare took a deep breath and smiled, "Yeah. Of course."
…..
Clare Edwards Took her crutches out and crutched the way up the small steps. There were many people outside, all of them early. The moment she had come out of the car, she could feel stares directed at her and she couldn't help but feel her face get hot.
But right now, she was staring ahead pointedly, avoiding people's gazes. She crutched her way into the school, making her way to her locker.
"Clare!" she heard some familiar voice calling her and she turned around to see Jenna walking to her.
"How are you doing? Oh, I've missed you so much!" Jenna squealed.
Clare smiled. Their friendship had been reconciled thanks to Alli before the Vegas Night dance. It felt good to have a friend with her. "Oh you know, I'm fine. And I missed you too." Jenna's eyes brightened at this statement.
"Um, why don't I take you backpack for you? Must be a pain with it on those crutches." Jenna offered politely.
Clare shook her head. "No, it's not that bad. I think I can handle it." Jenna furrowed her brow, but didn't press on.
Clare swallowed; she too felt the uneasiness in the air. "So how are you and K.C. doing?"
…
It was an accident, she was sure of that.
When she felt someone brush by her, she didn't mind. But when her crutches were knocked from under her, that's when she did.
She lay on the ground for a few moments, everybody watching her reaction, none of them helping. Under all these stares she couldn't help but feel stupid and she could already feel her face on fire. She couldn't even speak, and the heavy pressure on her eyes threatening to explode with a waterfall of tears.
She sat up, now propping herself on her arms, her crutches were far away, and it looked like no one was going to get them anytime soon.
"Move aside, dumbasses." Clare half hoped it was Eli, but soon remembered he was home sick with the flu. She then recognized the ringing voice of Holly J.
"God, why doesn't one of you move your arms and get the crutches? Or do you guys really have only one joint brain cell I haven't heard about?" Holly J rolled her eyes with disgust and handed Clare her crutches.
"Here sweetie, now let's get you to a bathroom." Holly J said kindly, sympathy filling her eyes. She followed behind Clare to the nearest bathroom and when Clare was inside, she immediately ran to the wall sobbing. She slowly moved down the wall and onto the floor. She racked her cries, and the loud noise left a bit of an echo in the once quiet bathroom.
"Darcy would have been proud-you know," Holly J said as she slid next to Clare. "She was a good person; she had her heart in the right place. I'm sure right now if she saw you she would be happy that you're so strong."
Clare hiccupped. "Yeah right, there's nothing to be proud about a cripple."
Holly J shook her head furiously. "The only time you're a cripple is when you believe you are one. Being disabled is only in the mind; a thought process. You are only a cripple, if you let yourself believe you are one."
Clare looked up to her, with eyes shining. "Thank you, for helping me out there you know."
Holly J gave a little sad smile. "Don't worry about it. I don't get why nobody helped, though."
Clare stared at the ground. "They were probably scared, I know I was."
They both sat there for a moment. Holly J finally spoke, "I'm sure we can still catch lunch, I mean, we have like half an hour left."
Clare looked up at her. "Sure, and thank you, Holly J."
"Hey, just because I was bitchy to your sister, doesn't mean I can be rude to Little Edwards."
…..
'Kay, so I'm getting all of these notifications that people favorite my story, or alerted it, but I never see reviews! I honestly do want your feedback! BTW, check out my other story, White Van.