Page 8 of The Grinch who Loved Me
Aria smiled bigger, “Can we ask?”
Her mom chuckled, “Sure.”
They called Jet and Farren and Farren was immediately on board.
She had been in a horrible accident and was taking some leave from school and she needed a project.
Someone to teach. And Aria couldn’t wait. She really liked Jet’s fiance and knew that Farren was going to be her big sister soon.
And Farren’s best friend was also a teacher and was going to marry her other big brother, Scout.
Scout wasn’t really her brother, but he felt that way. And she loved him like he was her brother.
And she also really liked Rowen.
After Farren and Rowen came over, and she met Rowen’s sister, Raegan, Aria knew she had made the right choice in the fact that she didn’t want to be seen as the girl with CP.
Who was too slow and was going to be put in the special needs class.
She didn’t like it. She was smart, she just couldn’t focus like the other kids could.
And she told Farren and Rowen this.
The girls both sympathized with her and they were more than happy to help her out.
Over the summer, they worked with her and helped her with reading, math and spelling.
She learned to love learning of any kind, but she had a huge fondness for reading.
She spent hours upon hours reading book after book, and finding her love of reading from them.
She could spend days in her favorite chair, wrapped up in a soft blanket, with a drink while she read.
Rowen and Farren encouraged it and as the weeks went on, Aria started to understand the math, the words, everything.
She caught up to her class and with Farren and Rowen’s help, she eventually outpaced them.
Jet was also on board to help. He was a whiz at numbers and she didn’t ever turn down help from her brother.
Bo was also on board and he would sit by her while she read and she would read out loud to him so she could get used to the sounds and it helped her to do so.
Together they made it through two of her favorite series and she loved sitting with him, while he combed through her hair.
After they finished each series, she would sit with him and they would discuss their favorite part of the book and Aria loved it.
Loved that her big brothers took their time and helped her. They never complained and she knew she would hold the memories in her heart.
Her parents also helped in any capacity and her mom worked with her to strengthen her legs and not rely on both crutches as much.
It didn’t work as well as learning did, but it was nice to try anyway. She could at least get around the house with one crutch and though she wasn’t strong enough at school, she was more confident in her learning abilities and her walking.
She went to school every day with a smile on her face and loved it.
She didn’t talk like she was a little kid any more. She felt like a grown up, but yet, none of the boys saw anything but her crutches.
They were nice to her, but no one ever asked her out.
And as they got older and went to high school, Aria gave up on the dream of ever being chosen.
