Healing, Love, and High School

"You were awesome ever since you become class president. You drove our class to the level we are.in and now you are a star in the soccer team. I have the greatest, smart, and cutest guy in this city."

I touch her cheek, "And now I have you. I have a beautiful, fun, good girl by my side."

"That's sweet"

"Do we go downstairs?"

"Sure."

....

***

"Derek,"

Ugh, five more minutes please mom. 

"Derek, come on, you are going to be late for the first day of school," she says. I hear her leave to the kitchen. I sit and look out the window. It is a bright summer day.

The door opens and Lu comes in. "you stand and get dress!" she yells in her Japanese voice. She is a petite yet curvy woman of 45 years old. She has been my nurse ever since spring.

She gets my blanket off like always. She then gets the pair of jeans I choose to put on today, and places them on the bed. "You ready?" she asks. I nod. I begin to take off my pajama pants and slip them off my butt. She then pulls them off and helps me get on the jeans. She carefully lifts on leg and then the other. She then moves them to the floor and helps me stand. She quickly puts on the jeans before I drop the bed. I button them and thank her.

"Phew, okays, now change shirt," Lu says. I put on a long sleeve t-shirt and I get my cane. Lu helps me stand but I tell her I'm okay. The cane helps me. I walk to the bathroom, freshen up, and walk slowly downstairs. I smell bacon and sausage.

"Morning nerd," Stan says.

"Morning," I say.

I sit next to him and say hi to my dad who is siting in the front of the glass table. "Hi," he says. Mom comes in with my plate and we begin to eat.

Once I finish, I get into Stan's car and he drives me to school.

"Good luck," he says.

"Sure."

I open the door and push my leg out and step out. I almost fall but I regain my balance. I look around to see if someone saw me but no one did.

I begin to walk. Forcing my right leg toward with the support of the cane then move my other leg like a normal leg and that's my walking cycle. I look like an old man who fought in a war and got shot in the leg.

No one says hi. No one turns my way. Just the way I want it. I get to the class which is  AP -Calculus. No one is there. There is still thirty minutes left for the bell to ring, but since I walk slow I need to be here beforehand.

"Oh hello Mr. Derek," Mrs. Sanchez comes in.

"Glad to see you again miss," I say.

"Well, I am glad to have you as a student once again, but" she places her bag on the desk, "why on the back?"

Oh I am sitting on the back of the class. "Just."

"But are you sure since-"

I cut her off, "I might be crimpled but I can still walk Mrs. Sanchez."

"sorry didn't mean to offend you Derek." she quietly sits down and minds her business.

You see, ever since that "magical night", I have been disabled, handicap or whatever you want to call it. My life changed. And it sucks. I hate it. I hate that I can barely walk and not change myself in the mornings. I hate that I got into that accident.

Why me?

"Hey,"

I turn and see a girl, or that's what I think It is. She sits next to me and fixes her weird ponytail or bun or I don't know what to call it.

"I'm Leslie Charles, I'm new here. What up?"

Ok. Why are you talking to me chick? I look at her and man she is a mess. She doesn't have a sense of style! She has loose wash out blue jeans, a big black.t-shirt and a grey over size jacket with black converse. No make up, no accessories.

"Are you like deaf?" she asks.

I shake my head no.

"Oh,well, cool," she turns toward and begins to sing a song. What is wrong with this girl? I havent had any contact with anyone for almost a year.

"Are you ne-"

Suddenly people begin to fill the class. Then the bell rings. Woo. Classes are officially starting.

....

I am walking to the parking lot to wait for Stan. "Hi,"

I turn around and see Leslie smiling. Umm , is she stalking me?

"Look. I just wanted to say that I'm here as a friend. If you need help-"

"Go away," I say and begin to walk. Thankfully Stan is arriving so I hop in and go home. I dont tell anyone anything about my day, they don't ask.

Well Lu does.

"And you no pain in leg?" she asks.

"A bit,"

"Okay, I do massage tonight."

"A girl talked to me,"

She smiles wide making her eyes even smaller. "Good!"

"But she is weird. And no one has talked to me."

"Oh but she is friend now."

"No she isn't. And she is weird."

Lu slaps my arm, "Dont be ungrateful! Now go and do homework."

"ouch! And its the first day of school..i dont have homework!"

***

How can someone who had it all and had so much vanity suddenly loose it all and have low self-esteem? Does destiny really exist? Do people go through things just because they deserve it or is there a greater cause?