She smiled at him this time. “Trina, I’ll come over tonight, and we’ll fix your problem.”
Wesley froze. “I can help, Trina. If you have another problem, I’m at your service.”
“Thanks, Wesley.” I pouted and squeezed the rubber handles on my crutches. “But this is a problem for Sarah and me.”
All afternoon, instead of listening to the teacher, I practiced what I’d say. And then I’d decide that wasn’t what I wanted to say at all. How do you tell a boy not to like you?
When Sarah arrived at my house, my nerves jangled as if I’d been thrown into a snake pit. Every part of me quivered. I had always helped people, not told them to stay away. Sarah followed me to the guest room. Once again, I climbed on the bed and scooted back against the pillows. Colton leaped up and examined me.
I stroked his head and smiled at him. “It’s a good thing you can’t talk. You’d tell everyone what I’ve said, and I’d never have any secrets.”
He blinked.
Sarah pulled a chair from the kitchen, flipped it around, and straddled the seat. “Okay, Trina, this is what you have to do.”
My stare widened. She had my full attention.
“You need to call Wesley and explain.”
“Explain? What? That I want him to leave me alone. That I don’t have time for a boyfriend. I have other interests.”
“No, silly. You do it nicely. Compliment him on how nice he’s been to you. And how he’s been a huge help, but now that you’re well, you have to get back to being busy. Tell him you don’t want him to feel bad when you don’t have time to hang out or talk on the phone.”
“Stop!” I put my hand in front of her face and almost shouted, “I have never called him or encouraged him.”
“We know that. He doesn’t. He’ll argue with you that he’ll wait for you. But then you tell him, you’ve seen other girls look at him. They’d love his attention. Tell him you’d feel better knowing he had another girlfriend who had time to be with him.”
“Really?” I scrunched-up my face. “You think he’ll buy that?”
Sarah sucked in her cheek. “It may take a few times saying it, but he’ll eventually figure out you’re not interested.”
My eyes bulged. “And I do this over the phone?”
“It’s a lot easier than face to face.” She stared at me. “Want to do it now? I’ll stay right here and keep your spirits up.”
I took a long breath. “All right. The sooner the better.” I lifted my cell phone and dialed. “Hi, Mrs. Cooper. This is Trina Ryan. Is Wesley there?” I smiled at Sarah and made an okay sign with my finger and thumb. Just as Sarah started to speak to me, Wesley’s voice came over the phone. My words caught in my throat. I gagged and sputtered. “Hold on.” I swallowed, and waited. “Okay. Sorry about that.”
Before I could start into my speech, he apologized for being so persistent.
“Well, that’s kind of why I called.”
He broke my train of thought, telling me how much he liked me, and why I was so special.
I listened. Inch by inch my back slid down the pillow as I shook my head in disbelief.
Sarah waved her hand in front of my face, silently moving her mouth saying, “Do it. Come on. Do it.”
I had to turn away from her. She moved around in front of me, jerking my free arm. There was no way I could talk. I needed to tell him my way without Sarah. “Um, Wesley. Can I call you back? My mom is calling.”
I hung up and looked at Sarah. “I can’t say those things to him. You should have heard how he complimented me. It’s sooo embarrassing. I’ll make him a card. And mail it.”
“Hmm. That’s not a bad idea. Do you want me to help?”
“Nah, I’ll do it later. Let’s go outside and let Colton run. I need some exercise, too.” I grabbed the crutches, and we headed for the porch swing.
Swaying in the cool breeze, Sarah jabbered about the boys she had liked, and how after a couple weeks they bored her. “It works out perfect with Peyton in Columbia. We can talk on the phone and not feel obligated to be together all the time.”
“I guess that’s the problem with me. I’m more comfortable with Chase. He isn’t bossy, and he’s easy to get along with. If he was closer, I’d be happy being special friends.”
“Uh-huh. That’s your problem with Wesley. You like Chase.”
I looked at my cast and the new striped purple and white sock covering my toes. “Yeah, I do. I did. He’s different. My first boy crush, but being so far away is hard. Nope. I’m done with boyfriends. We agreed to be just friends from a distance.”
“Really? Are you two not talking?”
“We had an argument. He has another girlfriend. Because we’re so far apart, we decided we’d not be jealous of other friends. And I was free to have another boyfriend.”
Sarah glared at me. “What? All this time and you never told me.”
I wiped a loose tear. “I needed time to figure out my crazy life. So many changes are happening, and he’s just complicating things.”
Sarah leaned closer, questioning me with her look. “All my friends make a big deal out of having a boyfriend, because it makes them feel special—but it does get tiresome. That’s why we change boys so often. I understand how you feel, but I never expected you to break it off with Chase.”
I shrugged. “We missed each other, so we agreed to talk or text any time. That’s working. We don’t talk about other people, only what we’re doing. I do miss him, but I’m more interested in Colton and being at the barn. Maybe one day being with a boy will be more important, but right now I’d rather not worry about one more thing. I want to be free. Free to do what I want to do. Which reminds me. Mom got a call yesterday from school. I’ve gotten permission to take Colton on the school bus, starting tomorrow. He’s going to my first period class, and then Mom’ll pick him up. Do you want to ride on the bus tomorrow?”
Sarah frowned. “How are you going to do that with crutches?”
“Umm, I hadn’t thought about that. Look. My arms have gotten stronger.” I flexed my muscle in my right bicep and poked at the round muscle.
Sarah rolled her eyes. “Impressive!” And then she glared. “How early?”
“Seven o’clock. Before the sun comes up.”
Sarah groaned. “Yuck! That’s usually when I’m waking.”
I smiled my best smile. “One morning. Come on. Do your hair tonight and have your clothes ready.”
She tilted her head. “I guess I can try getting up that early, one time, just for you.”
I squeezed her hand. “Thanks, Sarah. You are the best.”
Chapter 41
In the dusky, damp morning, Sarah’s flashlight glared straight ahead. She met me in front of my house, complaining. “This is way too early. I don’t like getting up in the dark.”
Colton happily wagged and bounced from one leg to the other as I swung myself forward.
As the sun slowly peeked over the trees, I called, “Come.”
Sarah leashed him and put on his cape.
In a few minutes, the rest of the bus riders joined us. Excited to have a dog riding on the bus, they teased Colton.
Because he reacted while wearing his vest, I gave the command, “Down.”
The bus slowed to a stop, and the brakes squealed. Colt’s ears perked at the whine. We waited, and Colton stayed in his Down position. I let the others climb aboard. Sarah held my crutches. I grabbed each side handle, took one step with my good foot, and lugged my cast up. Colton waited for me to move up one step. Then he bounced behind me with Sarah. I scooted across the first bench seat and collapsed. Colton lay by my feet, and Sarah slid in next to me.
Once we drove off, my panting slowed. Sarah whispered in my ear, “Did you make a card for Wesley?”
“Nope. Totally forgot.” I faced her. “Anot
her day.”
She crossed her arms, and smirked. “You’re going to be sorry. He’s going to embarrass you, again.”
“Nah, he’ll be bored with all that by now.”
Sarah circled her head like she was loosening her neck muscles and gave me a sideways glare. “Oh, this is going to be good.”
“Yep, it should be. The plan is at 9:05 a.m. I walk Colt outside. Mom will take him to her office for a playtime with the dogs boarding at the clinic. And after, he’ll practice sitting under her desk. One of the rules for fostering a service dog is: Puppies can’t be alone for more than four hours.”
At lunch time, Mom will bring Colton home, and he’ll nap until I get home. If all goes well, he’ll go with me each day this week. Then on Friday, Dad has a half-day off, and he plans to pick me up after school. We’ll take Colton downtown to walk around the beautiful park and across the Reedy River Bridge high above the waterfall. I bet the leaves will be gorgeous this time of year.”
Sarah leaned back and relaxed. “Are you going to ride the trolley up and down Main Street? Now that he knows how to ride a bus, he’ll enjoy the ride.”
“Yep. Would you like to join us?”
“I would, but I’ve got a soccer practice that afternoon.” She looked down at her sneakers. “I want you to know I’m not getting up this early again. Can you get Colton on the bus without me?”
I hiked my shoulders. “I guess I’ll find out.”
Monday’s school day went well. But Tuesday started off rough. I made it to the bus stop with Colton loose. I called him to me as the other riders showed up, but he expected to repeat yesterday’s free-for-all and didn’t listen. Not able to get his attention, my pulse speeded, and my good leg shook. Wincing from discomfort, I gripped my crutch handles. Colton had transformed into a slippery fish.
My ears heated, and I pleaded with the others running and chasing Colton. “Please stop. He needs to stand here.”
They halted. A younger neighbor boy approached me and asked if I had a treat. I breathed a sigh of relief, reached into my pocket, and handed him a piece of cheese. He took my leash, called and baited Colton. He hooked him and reeled him in as the bus rumbled toward us.
My face cooled, and I managed a smile long enough to thank the boy. I pulled myself up the steps and he followed. Colton proved I had expected too much too soon.
I hobbled into English, only to find Wesley had brought Kaiser. I maneuvered to my desk, and Colton lay next to my good leg. Our dogs knew each other and challenged us to keep them at our desks.
Melissa who sat behind me, tapped my shoulder, and handed me a folded piece of paper with my name on it. When I noticed Wesley’s handwriting, my mouth puckered and exasperation whooshed through my nose. I didn’t want to open the note during class and set it inside my English book.
A few minutes later, I had another tap on the shoulder and another note appeared. This time the writing said, “Open Now!” I swiveled around, and glared at Wesley, shaking my head, NO!
Colton watched my reaction. He sensed when I was upset or stressed, and without a command, he threw his front legs on my lap, putting pressure on my thighs. This skill, called a Hug, helps relax people with Autism or PTSD. I stroked his head, and let my anxiety stream out of my fingers. The teacher never missed a beat about formatting essays.
Finally, the bell rang and my legs had fallen asleep, so had Colton. I tickled inside his ear and he raised his head.
“Off.”
He had all four paws on the floor.
I responded with a, “Yes!”
Since I was in front of Wesley, he waited for us to move to the door. I had planned to shuffle out and ignore him, but that didn’t happen. Our dogs nosed each other and wiggled.
Mrs. Stevens approached. “Wesley, I didn’t know you were bringing your dog. We can’t have both dogs here together. Please wait until next week, and then you can have a turn.”
His face pinked and his few freckles popped up across his cheeks. His sky-blue eyes shined, and I thought to myself. He really is cute. Too bad he’s such a klutz. He nodded to the teacher.
I blurted, “Wait. Mrs. Stevens, let Wesley bring his dog back. I can’t handle Colton with crutches another morning. It’s too much. I’ll bring him back when I can walk.”
“Are you sure, Trina?”
I smiled, relieved.
Wesley stood next to me, staring. “Thanks for that. Did you read my note?”
I shook my head. “NO, Wesley. I was listening to Mrs. Stevens.” I screwed my face. “What’s so important?”
“Um, I didn’t want to ask you in person.” He hemmed and hawed. “But I will now. Do you want to go to the dance Friday? I can pick you up, or I can meet you there?”
My stomach churned, but I smiled. Here’s my chance to be honest. But all of the other classmates stood around, listening. The longer I didn’t say anything, the closer they squeezed in. I didn’t want to embarrass him. I leaned in to whisper in his ear. He leaned in, too, and pulled me closer with one arm. I instinctively backed away and almost lost my balance.
I glared at him. “Please don’t do that. Can I talk with you after school? Got to go. Mom’s picking up Colton out front.”
“I’ll walk with you. Kaiser’s going home, too. So see, you can tell me out front. I’ll hold Colton’s leash.”
A volcano erupted in my stomach, making me sick with worry. What do I say? I walked slower than usual, shaking with fury. The minute we stepped outside, but before he had time to look into my face, I said, “Wesley, thanks for the invitation. I can’t dance on one leg, and I really don’t have time for boys right now. Do you understand?”
“Yes. But we could spend time together with our dogs. They like each other, and that would make it even more fun. They could be like brothers, and we’d be like a happy family.”
I laughed hysterically and slowly gained some control. “You are too funny! Wesley, we’re only going to have these dogs for another year, and then they’ll be gone. By then you’ll have found another girl, one who likes you, with or without a dog.” I paused. The words were falling out before I knew what I was saying. “One hint for you to think about. Don’t be so pushy.” I looked away. “Oh, here’s my mom. Bye Wesley. Thanks for holding Colton. I’ll see you at another dog class. Please ask someone else to the dance. Come, Colton.” I floated to mom’s car, light as air. I had told Wesley the truth, as nice as I could, and I was free!
Mom buckled Colton in, and asked me how the morning went.
I put my hand up and smiled. “Too much to tell.”
She gave me a funny look and hugged me. “Okay. Later it is. Have a good rest of the day.”
At the end of my very long day, Sarah rode home with me on the bus. I turned to her with a giant grin. “Sarah, it’s done! Problem taken care of.”
She gave me a High-Five and whispered. “Way to go! How?”
“Tell ya’, later.”
She leaned in, beaming. “Now, we’ll have to find you another boy that is more likable.”
I shook my head. “Nah, I’m good without. I’ll stick with horses and dogs. Staying on this subject, do you want to go to the barn after doing some homework? I’m going to use my wheelchair. I’m exhausted.”
Sarah hiked her book bag onto her lap. “Let’s go home, have a snack, and then go before homework. I need a break from thinking.”
The bus stopped at our spot. “Sarah, text me when you’re ready. Meet you at the tree.”
Inside the barn, Morgan spoke to Knight. He threw his head high and whinnied as if he was giggling at her.
My heart floated like a hot air balloon. I bit down on my bottom lip and stopped rolling my chair. “Sarah, let her have a few alone minutes with Knight, and then we’ll go in. They’re so happy together.”
Sarah put her chin down and gave me a wrinkled face.
“What’s gotten into you?”
“I haven’t told you about her vacation with her grandparents and her show. She needs this happy time.”
“I hear you out there.” Morgan hollered. “Come on in. Knight’s waiting for his pats from you, Trina.”
I rubbed Knight’s soft nose and patted his satiny round belly. “Hey, Morgan. How long are you here?”
“The plan is for me to wait until Mother shows up. And then we’re going out to dinner.” She pursed her lips and shook her head side to side. “This will be a first. I’m not really expecting her to be on time or even remember. If it gets too late, I’ll have dinner with Mrs. B, and then she’s offered to drive me home.”
I put my hand on her arm. “That sounds like a good plan. You know, you’re always welcome at my house.”
Sarah stood next to me, listening.
Morgan walked Knight to his stall. “I know. One way or another we’re going to work out our problems. My grandparents have a Plan B that I like, and maybe we’ll move toward that direction. I’ll have to wait to see, but I’m doing research.”
Sarah started to walk away.
Morgan touched her elbow. “You don’t have to run away. It’s okay if you hear. No secrets any more. I’m going to be happy with the people who care. Do you guys want to hear what my grandparents are working on?”
“Well, yah.” I stared at Sarah.
She nodded. “I’m in. Tell.”
“I researched boarding schools before we left for Florida. I haven’t told you everything about my older brother, but I will.” She bowed her head and stared at the straw floor. In a moment, she lifted her wet eyes and smiled. “I found three fabulous schools with riding programs near my Grands. We stayed up late, talking about me living closer to them. There’s a military hospital close by.”
My head shot up. I opened my mouth to interrupt, but Morgan put her hand up. “I promise I’ll tell you about Quintin. Just not right now.” Tears flowed again, and she wiped her nose on one of Knight’s cleaning rags. “Okay?”
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