How We Roll by Natasha Friend

Author:Natasha Friend
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

CHAPTER

12

NICK’S INSTAGRAM MESSAGE CAME ON SUNDAY morning, not long after Quinn got home from Ivy’s, when she was sitting on her bed in front of the fan, feeling the delicious breeze on her bare head. Did u mean what u said abt me seeing ur moms studio?

Anytime, Quinn wrote back.

About two seconds later she got, How’s now?

Without really thinking, she wrote back, OK. 37 Cliffside.

*   *   *

Quinn had made a terrible mistake. She realized this as soon as Nick’s wheelchair turned onto her street. The houses on Cliffside were all built into the rock face. Everything was on an incline.

Quinn stood on the front steps, shading her eyes from the glare. It took a long time, but Nick finally started pushing up the driveway.

“Hey!” Quinn called from the top step.

Nick raised a hand in greeting. He pushed some more. When he reached the stone path, Quinn jogged down to meet him. Sweat wasn’t just trickling down his face; it was gushing. His hair was blue-black in the sun. His shirt was green, with the words LEAVE IT ALL ON THE TURF in block letters on the front.

“I am so sorry,” she said. “I thought you’d be getting dropped off. I thought…” She turned, looking hopelessly at the steep slate steps leading up to the house. “I didn’t think this through.”

Nick nodded, catching his breath.

“Did you bring your prosthetics?” It was a stupid question, Quinn realized. How would he carry them, in his lap? “Sorry,” she said. “That was dumb … How do you get in your house?”

“Ramp.”

“How do you get to your room?”

“Don’t.” He took another gulp of air. “Been sleeping downstairs. The den.”

“Right.” Quinn nodded. She glanced at the steps again, then back at Nick. “Well. This is nothing we can’t handle.”

“You … are not … piggybacking me.”

“I wasn’t going to piggyback you. I was thinking I’d go get my dad. Between the two of us, I’m sure we could lift you and your chair.”

Nick shook his head.

“Do you have another idea?”

He shook his head again.

“Listen,” Quinn said. “I know this is weird. But I don’t want you to be embarrassed. Not in front of me. Not about your legs.”

Nick looked at her and said nothing.

Quinn took this as a sign to continue. “My parents are really nice. I told them you were coming. They’ll be happy to help. Believe me … they’ve dealt with much weirder things.”

“Are you calling me weird again?”

Quinn smiled. “Of course not.”

And Nick said, “Okay.”

*   *   *

It took all three of them, and they had to try a few different carrying techniques, but Quinn and her parents finally managed to get Nick and his wheelchair up to the house without much trouble. Everyone acted normal. Quinn’s dad offered Nick a Coke. Quinn’s mom made space at the kitchen table so Nick’s chair would fit. Then she said, “Let me get Julius. He’ll want to meet you, too.”

“Mom,” Quinn said. “Nick came to see the studio.”

“This won’t take long.”

A minute later, Julius shuffled into the kitchen, wiggling his fingers. He stood facing the refrigerator.

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