Page 156 of Hat Trick
“Scary, isn’t it?” I ask, and he nods.
“Liam, I swear to god if you sit down right now, I’m going to bite your ass,” Maverick warns, trying to get himself upright. “Don’t you fucking dare.”
“I wish I had that on video.” Hudson wheezes, the only one unaffected by my shitty first attempt. “I’ve never heard Grant scream like that before.”
“Hey. I wasscared, and this is a judgment-free zone. Watch yourself, Hayes,” Grant says, bopping him on the back of the head. “I’m stronger than I look, and I’ll fling you out of the window if you laugh at me again.”
“If anyone wants to evacuate, they can,” I say, checking to make sure everyone is okay. “But I’ll be more careful next time.”
And I am. I get us cruising up to twenty miles an hour, and I make a big lap around the perimeter of the parking lot. Grant keeps his head out of the window, guiding me left then right, and when I tap the brakes again, we roll to a gentle and complete stop without incident.
“Nice job, Ri,” Hudson says. “That was smooth.”
“Not as hard as I thought it would be,” I say. “I just need to train my brain.”
“Online it says you can buy something called a left foot gas pedal?” Maverick asks, looking up from his phone. “Have you thought about that?”
“Not really.” I shrug. “People already treat me differently because of my leg, and I want to try to keep things as normal as I can. I wore shorts to the grocery store the other day, and you would’ve thought I had skin lesions all over my body. Someone asked if I needed a wheelchair, and while I’m sure some folks with prosthetics do, it was like they were only seeing my disability, not me as a whole person.” I sigh. “It’s frustrating. I don’t want to be coddled. Do I need special accommodations sometimes? Yeah. Am I going to take the elevator instead of climbing five flights of stairs? Sure. But I’m still me.”
“Shit. That was really powerful, man. I never thought of it that way,” Grant says.
“When I was in the hospital and being transported back and forth in a wheelchair, no one talked to me. They only talked to the person pushing me. As if I stopped being an individual entity when I lost my leg. That’s why I’m hesitant to show off my lower half. Not because I’m embarrassed. But because everyone always makes it a way bigger deal than it needs to be.”
“It sucks that you’re treated like that,” Hudson says.
“You should partner with the league to do a disability awareness class,” Maverick suggests. “Get some Paralympic athletes on board too.”
“If anyone gives you problems, I’ll kick their ass,” Liam adds, and I laugh.
“Thanks, guys. And thanks for doing this with me. It was too intimidating to try by myself, but hearing Grant scream like that was worth bringing in reinforcements.”
“Another lap.” Maverick clasps my shoulder. “Try to get up to thirty miles an hour.”
The next time around the parking lot is easier. I can tell I’m using my left leg, and there’s the hint of discomfort in my right knee area, but overall, I’m happy with how I do. The tension leaves my shoulders when I complete a fourth lap at an even faster speed, safely parking in a spot and checking to make sure I’m within the lines.
“Next task is going to be tackling an actual road,” I say, stretching out my legs. “I might panic and press the gas instead of the brakes.”
“I bet you’ll be more confident after another two practice rounds,” Hudson says. “And we’ll be here with you.”
“I’ll be wearing a helmet,” Liam says, and I snort.
“Sorry, Sully. I didn’t mean to mess up your pretty head.”
A call comes through on my Bluetooth, and Lexi’s name pops up on the car screen.
“Oooh, why is Lexi calling you?” Grant leans forward and smashes the green button before I can stop him. “Hey, sugar,” he says. “What’s cookin’, good lookin’?”
“Okay, stop,” I say, shoving him out of the way.
“Is that Grant?” Lexi asks.
“The one and only,” he yells from the backseat.
“You’re on speaker,” I tell her. “We were having a driving lesson.”
“That sounds fun. How did it go?”
“I’ll be stopping by your office tomorrow before morning skate because Mitchell injured me,” Liam says. “You can blame him for giving you extra work.”
