Chapter 3

Before Drake can explode on his friend, I don't want to be the cause of him losing a friend, I quickly say, "I have a sports wheelchair that I use on ramps, pipes and obstacles. I'm not as good as my brother or Drake but I do alright."

Taking a deep breath while ignoring Bianca's shocked look that I talked to Archer in a higher voice than a whisper I continue. "I might not be physically able to ride a board like Drake or a BMX bike like my brother but I'm one of the few people in the United States who can ride the chairs like boarders and bikers do."

Archer still doesn't look totally convinced. I notice Drake pulling his cell out, messing with with it. Sliding his phone across the table toward Archer, he tells him, "Press play, man, you'll see what we're talking about."

Archer picks the phone up still skeptical at what we're saying. He presses play (video up top is actually Aaron 'Wheelz' Fotheringham) silently watching for a moment. His face his neutral for that moment before registering shock and glancing upwards at me with his mouth hanging open.

Once the video is done playing that Bianca was watching as well, both stare at me in complete surprise. "This is you in the video?" Archer manages to stutter out. Nodding my answer instead of verbally answer. He and Bianca just stare at me still in shock but Bianca manages to pull herself together before Archer does.

"Can we please come to the park with you, please?" she practically squeals out. Drake looks at me again for my confirmation or denial at them meeting us there. Again I shrug at my best friend not caring either way as long as I can shred.

Drake tells them that they can meet us there. Julie starts pouting along with whining at him about ditching me for his other friends. Drake scowls at her as he grits out, "Stop being a bitch, I haven't had the chance to hang out with Jace at the skate park lately or Bianca and Archer lately. It's one damn night."

Her mouth drops into an 'O' at him before she slams her hands down onto the table top as she stands. "You're bailing on all this," she says roaming her hands up and down from her waist to her breasts before turning her glare to me. "For that worthless cripple, who's not worth his skin that he's in?" she sneers.

In a blink of an eye there's a crack sounding in the cafe causing a few people around us to turn their heads in our direction. Before Drake could react Bianca was around the table and had smacked Julie across her face.

Finally the end of the day arrives allowing Drake and I head out to the student parking lot toward his truck. Opening the passenger side door, I open it and carefully stand to climb into the cab of the truck but not before I pick up my chair, setting it in the back of Drake's truck.

Drake drives us to the skate park all the while I can hardly contain my excitement in the passenger seat. I need to destress with some tricks and hang out with my best friend. Once he parks and turns off the engine, I'm out of the truck grabbing my sports chair out of the back. Buckling myself in along with strapping my legs in, Drake, who has his board, we head to the section for the boarders and bikers.

There are a couple of sections that I can't enter directly with my chair and have to maneuver myself out of my chair pulling it behind me to get where I want to be. I'm not complaining though because it's worth it and Drake usually helps me out of those sections when we're done and ready to move to another.

Finally making my way to the section where I want to be, I settle my chair on the flat cube shaped section, lock the brakes before settling myself in my chair and rebuckeling myself in. Searching for Drake, I spot him in the section to my left watching to make sure I'm settled before he starts. Flipping both my thumbs up, the signal I'm good, he signals back before starting.

Grabbing my helmet out of my back off the back of the chair, strapping it on before grabbing the black drawstring bag, folding it and stuffing it in my pocket; as I take a deep breath before launching myself down the sloop, gaining momentum before trying the one handed flip.

Thirty minutes later I stop back up at the top to rest for a few minutes and check on what Drake is doing. Turning to find him I notice Archer and Bianca standing there both holding their boards staring with their mouths hanging open.

Grinning to myself I give them a small wave before unbuckeling myself to move off the section I'm at. Drake notices them as well and comes towards them as do I. Drake grins at them as he and I meet up with them.

"Close your mouths, guys," he chuckles out slapping Archer on the shoulder.

"Dude, you're more impressive in person than the video," Archer says in awe.

I just grin at him as I pull my helmet off. "Thanks man," I chuckle. "So, are you two going to stand there and gawk or are you going to show us your sick moves?"

Bianca grins instantly at me before running off to one of the ramps giggling the whole way. Her happiness is contagious as I turn toward the ramp near her and drop in on it.

Two hours later all four of us have called it quiet since the lights there have come on and we've decided it's time for dinner. Drake's mom knew we weren't going to be home for dinner, so the four of us have decided to eat at the local diner.

"Dude what made you decide to start WCMX?" Archer asks as we're eating.

Drake and Archer both ordered a mushroom Swiss steak burger and cheese fries. Bianca ordered a chicken sandwich with a small salad and I ordered a hot turkey sandwich that came with mashed potatoes smothered in gravy.

"My brother does BMX at the park while I was watching with my dad and my sisters were playing. Drake was there one day on his board and noticed that I was watching and offered me to try and I explained I couldn't because of my physical condition and he suggested getting a sports wheelchair and the rest is history."

We spend the rest of dinner talking about everything and the more time I spend with Bianca and Archer I realize that Bianca and I definitely can become better friends and perhaps Archer as well; as soon as I overcome my damn hormonal lusting after Archer.

Saying our goodbyes two hours later, Bianca and Archer head home separately in their own cars as Drake and I head to his home. Once inside his bedroom we watch a movie while eating snacks and drinking soda before falling asleep on his bed together. Yes, we're friends and sleep in the same bed together. No, it's not weird, we're not into each other, and we're like brothers damnit.

Best weekend ever so far and it's on Friday night. The weekend can only become greater than it already has, right?

"Jace, there's a tiny brunette and a tall brunette here to see you!" dad shouts from the kitchen where the front door is located.

Picking my head up from my homework to see what time it is. Who in the hell is here at 3 in the afternoon on a Saturday to see me? Standing I lock my braces before grabbing the crutches dad gave me to use (like the ones you recieve from the hospital if you break or sprain something on your legs) and headed downstairs.

Making my way down the stairs I enter the kitchen and stop suddenly. I'm surprised to see Archer and Bianca standing inside the house. "Hey, please don't take this the wrong way but why are you two here? How did you even know where I live?" I'm trying to keep my shock to myself.

Yes, they're becoming my friends slowly but they've never been here ever. Drake is the only one who's ever been to my house but he's been my only real friend that isn't ashamed to be seen with me.

"Hey man, we came to see if you'd like to go to the park with us?" Bianca asks in her sweet tone; her eyes hopeful.

Glancing at dad looking for permission to go with them or not since all of us were planning on going there ourselves in an hour. Dad nods his permission for me to leave now.

Nodding back at the two in front of me I smile as bright as I can. If they're going to make an honest gesture to become my friend, then so will I. "Yeah, give me five minutes and meet me by," I stop mid-sentence because I have no idea if either of them have a truck to put my chair in the back of.

Archer must have known where my thought was heading because he smiled gesturing his thumb behind him. "Drake is here, he drove. He's in the driveway talking to a kid our age." He looks at me intently before saying, "the guy Drake is talking to looks a lot like you actually."

Realization hits me who he's talking about. "That's my older brother, Jacob; he's 18 years old like the three of you."

Archer and Bianca give each other a confused look before turning back to me. "If he's 18 years like us, how old are you then?" Bianca asks, her big blue eyes confused.

Smiling softly at her, I say, "I'm 17 years old."

"Then how are you a senior then, if you're 17 years and your brother is 18 years and a senior as well?" Archer asks in his deep baritone voice.

"Jace skipped a grade when he was in middle school putting him in the same grade as my oldest," dad answers for me when he enters the kitchen with my sports chair and folding it out and locking the seat into place.

I'm surprised dad brought my chair in from the mud room where all of our sporting equipment and muddy clothing are left until they are cleaned.

"Thanks dad," I say motioning toward the chair he nods in response and heads towards the mud room again where my sisters are.

Settling myself in the chair I proceed to remove my braces after I had leaned the crutches against the table. After I removed my second brace, I start placing the braces and crutches into my lap to place them in the corner of the living room for when we come home.

"Would you like me to take care of those for you?" Archer asks not moving and surprisingly I'm not upset at his question. Most people assume I need the help and try or just do it for me instead of asking if I would like or need the help.

Smiling brightly at him, I shake my head. "No thank you, but I appreciate you treating me like I'm a person not a damn cripple." Noticing the look on his face I rush to reassure him. "Most people, those who aren't my family or Drake just assume I can't do things for myself and make me feel useless and I hate that, so I appreciate you asked and didn't move to take these from me and do it for me. You can't begin to understand how much I am thankful for that."

With that I place my items in the corner of the living room by the couch before re-entering the kitchen, we leave the house with goodbyes.