We Belong: Chapter 21

762 words

6 minute read

THE SECRET CLUB

(Jesse)

TW: Ableism

I have big plans for when Shane and Connor actually come over.  We’ll play on the computer, watch a movie, eat, and it will be great.  Lexie is having a bad pain day so I let her have the I-Pad.  She’s in bed in our room.

When they get here, I’m ready for them, all set up, with Mom’s laptop on a TV tray across my wheelchair.  “Hey, guys!”  I say.  “Let’s play a game!”

They look at each other.

“Can we video chat on this?” Connor asks.

“I should ask my mom,” I hedge.  We can’t just do stuff on her computer without asking.

“Oh, we just wanna talk to Sophia.  Your mom won’t care,” Shane says and he takes the laptop from me and starts typing.

I make a face.  Sophia?  Really?  Since when do Shane and Connor like the one cousin I don’t?

"Why?" I ask, still not able to keep the look off my face like something stinks so much.  "I thought we didn't like her," I point out.  "Like, she's super bossy, she's mean, she doesn't share..."

"She does share," Connor pipes up.  "Sometimes," he allows.  "If we do what she wants."

"But you're older than her, Shane.  Why would you let her boss you around?" I ask, horrified.  Shane's eight.  Sophia's only seven.

"Our cabins are right by each other.  And we still have a really puny one.  But Sophia and her parents?  Theirs is like a mansion.  It's so fancy.  They have extra rooms for people to come over and have sleepovers."

"And video games!" Connor adds.  "And the best snacks!  She even has a trampoline in her yard!  If we're nice to her, she lets us jump on it."

It is true.  Sophia's house does have the best snacks.  And if I could jump on a trampoline right now, I would do it.  So, I guess it makes sense that Shane and Connor want to stay on her good side.

But that still doesn't mean I want to talk to her.

In a few seconds, Sophia is there on the screen. She is seven, so she’s right between Connor and Shane.  Her parents let her video chat whenever she wants because she only ever talks to family and it’s free.  

“Hey guys!  Oh.  Hey, Jesse…”

I wave. I get a bad feeling inside.  Did Shane and Connor see how Sophia got way less friendly when she saw I was there, too?  That’s kind of rude.

“Guys,” Sophia hisses.  “You didn’t tell me you were gonna be at their house…  They’re not even in our club!”

[Image: A brown wooden sign reads KEEP OUT]

I poke Shane in the side and raise an eyebrow.  I’m still not comfortable enough to talk around Sophia.  She’d probably think everything I said was stupid.

“It’s nothing,” Shane shrugs.

“It’s not nothing!” Connor exclaims, like Shane is the rude one.  “It’s our secret club!”

“Nice going, Connor.  Now he knows,” Sophia pouts.  She’s excellent at pouting.

I look away from the screen, embarrassed.  

“Shane already told him, anyway,” Connor brags.

Now I’m really confused.

“Swimming!  I told him about swimming!  I didn’t tell him about the club or where the clubhouse is!”

Sophia huffs out a big sigh. 

My ears burn.  Since when do Shane and Connor want to be in secret clubs with Sophia? 

“Well, I guess it’s okay he knows,” Sophia sighs.  “Maybe he can be in the club once his leg is better and if he ever, you know, talks normal.”

“He does talk normal,” Shane insists.  “Just not to you.”

“Well, whatever.  Okay, so when your leg is normal and when you can talk, you can be in our secret club.”  Sophia’s talking to me like I’m a baby.

I don’t look at her.

“But Lexie can never be in it,” Sophia says seriously.  “My mom says she’ll never be able to walk like everyone else.  Maybe Jesse will, so maybe he can be in it, but only if he promises to never tell Lexie anything about the club.”

Shane and Connor look at me.

“So?  Do you promise?” Sophia insists.

I swallow once, and nod.

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Questions for Discussion:

Sophia talks to Jesse like he is a baby.  Has anyone talked to you like you're a baby?  How did you feel?

If you were in Jesse's place, would you promise not to tell Lexie about the secret club?  Why or why not?

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