Fifth step

You would believe one would be more lenient with their disabled child… not my parents. My phone, laptop, ipad and guitar got confiscated for two weeks, I couldn’t watch TV, nor use my xbox, and they denied buying me any snacks. They were treating me like a little child getting grounded for punching his middle school classmate. It wasn’t me who told Ryder to climb on the roof or to get scratched on his cheek. My only fault was that I left muddy trails on the carpet after entering the house with my dirty wheelchair. But again, I think my fathers’ goal was not to punish me, but rather to make me “bond” with Ryder. After they told me that “You act like a little kid, you get punished like one”, my dad also implied that now when I had no distractions, I might get to know Ryder better and actually befriend him.

There were two problems in their plan: I already knew Ryder better than they could imagine, and even though I had no distraction, Ryder did. His eyes were always glued to his phone, talking with this “Ivy” girl. Despite being gay, I couldn’t deny she looked cute, maybe too cute for a sour lemon like Ryder. But then again, when I took a quick glance through Ryder’s messages, I was astonished to see how-how gently he talked with her. She must have been very special to him.

Anyways, the point was that I was slowly getting frustrated. I was bored, Ryder was unfazed by my torment and his constant chatter with that Ivy girl of his was making me feel very, very lonely. I could swear I saw one white hair and two wrinkles when I looked in the mirror this morning. So I did one thing I never thought I would: I went to Ryder and asked him to entertain me. 

"Entertain me!" I pulled on Ryder's sleeve as he prepared dinner, supporting my chin on his forearm and letting my hands hang heavily from his wrist.

Ryder peeled me away.

"Didn't you say you wanted to be left alone?"

"I did, but this was before I got all my devices confiscated. Now I am dying of boredom and it’s entirely your fault.”

"My fault? You are the one who locked me outside the house, Carter.”

“But I told you not to climb on that goddamn roof.”

“You did? Sorry, I couldn’t hear you through the door like you couldn’t hear me through the window.” Ryder shrugged his shoulders, wiping his hands on a towel and offering me a mocking sneer.

I felt my cheeks burn in anger, but if I let myself lose my cool, I would just make a fool of myself and not escape this episode of boredom. So I took a deep breath and responded calmly.

“I admit, it was my fault for locking you outside the house. Now could you please do something and entertain me?”

“I am not a buffoon to entertain you, Carter.”

“You could have fooled me.” I muttered and when Ryder turned to glare at me I rose a questioning, innocent brow. He just rolled his eyes and placed a plate on the table.

“Your meal.”

I thanked him and started eating, not rising my face from the plate until I was finished. Once done I hanged myself on Ryder’s sleeve again, offering him my best puppy eyes.

“Come on, Ryder, just-just spend some time with me. We both know how uncomfortable it is for me to ask you this, but a man can spend time alone with his thoughts this much. I literally have nothing to do.”

Ryder considered my words for a moment, then he nodded with a sigh.

“Ok. What do you want to do?”

“I don’t know. Whatever.” I shrugged.        

“Wanna play basketball?”

          I looked at Ryder with an unamused stare then I realized he wasn’t joking.

"Basketball? I don't know what diopters your invisible glasses are, Ryder, but I am in a wheelchair, I can't play basketball."

"You can still try shooting the ball through the hoop. It's a way of killing time."

"It wouldn't be fair. You're closer to the hook."

"There's no competition, Carter."

"Yes it is. It has been a constant competition between us since you joined the football team."

Ryder stopped his movements, looking down with clenched jaw and shoulders tensed. Then he turned to look at me, a peculiar expression plastered on his face.

"Then let's make it fair and square..."

…

"Are you serious? A chair?"

"I am the same level as you, aren't I? Stop complaining!"

I watched Ryder sit on the wooden chair, his legs parted and ball bouncing between them (don't be perverted) .

"You're ready to lose?" He asked, looking at me with a confident sneer.

"You wish, wart!"

"Try me, bitch!" Ryder responded jokingly, dribbling the ball between his palms. He then threw it at my chest, stretching his arms to the hook invitingly.

We began playing, each taking a turn to shoot through the hook. Every time I would match a score, Ryder would do too, and every time I would miss, he would also do.

"Are you playing easy on me?" I said when Ryder once again missed the hook, making our scores even.

"Why would I do that?"

"Because you pity me."

A moment of silence followed before Ryder threw the basketball at my chest with a scoff.

"I don't pity assholes, I destroy them!"

 I was shocked for a moment, not expecting Ryder to make such a joke. Then I quickly brushed the shock aside, throwing the ball to the hook and scoring another point.

Ryder rolled his eyes unimpressed, going to collect the basketball from wherever it had landed. I followed him with my gaze, biting my lips when he bent over and offered me a good view of his backside.

"One more round?" He asked when he came back, and I swiftly turned my eyes to his face.

"Yeah, ok...It's getting cold anyways." I muttered, looking at the clouds invading the sky.

With one more point for me and two for Ryder, we ended the game evenly.

"I really didn't let you win, Carter. You're awesome at sports, wheelchair or not."

I looked in Ryder's eyes, wanting nothing more than to be able to read them. But I wasn't a psychologist, I couldn't understand human emotions. How could you possibly read the sincerity in a pair of organs?

"Whatever." I responded emotionlessly, making my way inside the house and into the living room. I went to stay by the window, while Ryder left for the kitchen to make some hot chocolate. Then he came back in the room and sat on the windowsill, looking with me at the thickening gray sky. I wish people could be as easy to read as nature.

"This time yesterday you were locking me outside the house."

I looked up at Ryder, almost snorting the chocolate through my nose.I let my eyes wonder on his

biceps, then up his bare neck and raven locks. I smirked, placing the chocolate on the ground beside me before wetting my index and sticking it in Ryder's ear.

"What the fuck, Carter! A wet Willy, are you serious?” The boy shuddered, placing his palms over his ear.

I was grateful that Ryder spent time with me today, but this didn’t mean I had to be nice to him or to accept him as my caregiver.

The rest of the day passed peacefully. Me and Ryder played cards, then I read a comic and he texted his “girlfriend”. Afterwards Ryder offered to make donuts and I offered to help him and this is where my parents found us half an hour later when they came back from work.

“Carter, what’s with all that flower on you?” My papa chuckled when he entered the house and I greeted him, taking in my appearance with amusement.

“Ryder made donuts.” I responded with a shrug, flinching when Ryder poke his head out of the kitchen and screamed: “We both made them.”

My dads beamed in happiness, content to know that Ryder and I did something together. I would make sure not to tell them about how I spent my day. Or at least, I would leave Ryder out of it.

“We bought lunch. What about we all eat it together then we raid those donuts?” My dad proposed, receiving a nod from papa.

“Son? Ryder?”

“Whatever. It’s not like if I refuse to eat at the same table as Ryder you’ll send him away, right?”

“No, but I can make you eat on the floor.” My dad smirked, making his way to the kitchen where he started persuading Ryder to join us for supper.

“Come on, Ryder, eat with us! We bought sushi. Plus, we could talk about your payment and life assurance…”

I smirked; hearing Ryder chuckle coyly from the kitchen.

"By the way, Carter, your results came today."

I turned to look at my papa, his thin lips stretched into a smile which didn’t reach his eyes. My own smirk died down.

“They were bad, weren’t they?”

Papa shook his head, a half frown bowing his brows.

“I-I talked with Kathy and we think you should go to her and seek another professional’s opinion.”

“Why can’t we find another doctor here, in town? Why do I have to go to Kathy’s?”

Papa came closer, kneeling at my feet and placing his hands on my knees.

“Listen, love, I understand that you don’t like Kathy and her family, but their town is bigger, they have better doctors and she is willing to help.”

I scrunched my nose, looking at papa with a scowling face.

“But I am not willing to receive their help. Papa, your niece is a fucking homophobe, her entire family is.”

“Do you think I don’t know, Carter? I am married with a man for fuck’s sake! But you need to see a specialist and if spending three days at Kathy’s is what it takes, then you shall spend three days at her then come home and I will give you all your electronics back.”

“Wait, for real?” I asked with wide eyes of disbelief.

“Yes, for real.”

I considered the proposal then nodded my head slowly.

“Okay, but with a condition.”

“What condition?” My papa asked almost fearfully.

“Ryder comes with me.”

If Ryder doesn’t bond with my homophobic family over their distaste towards gay people, then the four devils will scare him and chase him away for sure.