Food has never tasted as bland as it did for Arielle that evening. Her eyes meandered in Zion’s direction at intervals and he returned with a wink sometimes.

“Sir, I just want to say thank you for this opportunity. I will make you proud, I promise.” Zion concluded after their conversation.

Mr. Monroe led him to the living room but Arielle still had her eyes on him. “Arielle!” Her mother shrugging her arm.

“Yes mum?” Returning back to consciousness.

“I said would you like to join me in the kitchen?”

Wagging her head vehemently, “no, I’ll join dad in the living room.”

Pressing her automatic button on the chair as it wheeled her to living room. Zion and her father sat back on the couch watching some basketball game.

“Arielle, you want to watch some basketball?”

Zion asked observing her by the side of the couch.

Mr. Monroe turning to see her, “oh! Arielle hates basketball. All she cares about is cheerleading.”

“That’s not true!” She could herself negating. “I’ll like to watch basketball.”

Mr. Monroe rose from his seat, helping her push her wheelchair to sit beside him.

“I would have loved to stay longer sir, but I’ll have to go back home before my mum starts searching for me.” He sprung to his feet with Mr. Monroe following behind him.

“Bye, Arielle.” Zion suddenly halted in his tracks, placing his hands into his back pocket.

“Since you love some basketball, how will you love to come watch our first National match on Saturday?”

“Me?” Not sure if she was worthy of the privilege but he bent handing her the ticket. “Don’t worry about the crowd, that’s my vip ticket. That means you get to sit in a reserved spot.”

“Thanks.” She muttered without looking up. Zion returned to Mr. Monroe who was waiting outside.

“Arielle, your cheeks are about to explode.” Her mother teased her after observing her flushed cheeks.

“That’s not true, mum.” Hiding her face as Winifred wheeled her back into her room.

With enough space to express her joy, she did. Admiring the shiny ends of the ticket. It was the first time since her accident that a guy was asking her out. She felt like herself again especially after her sad breakup with Ken, her former boyfriend.

Saturday delayed in coming but when it finally came, Arielle developed cold feet.

“I can’t believe you’re going out on Saturday night again!” Sam exclaimed as she scouted for the right sneakers for Arielle.

“Me too! I never expected him to ask me out so early.”

“Ask you out?” Sam pulled back, staring questioningly. “He just invited you to the game, that doesn’t really translate to asking out though.”

“Don’t be such a killjoy!” Throwing tantrums, “inviting and asking me out, I don’t see the difference.” Flaring her shoulders, “I can’t wait for Bianca and her stupid minions to see me with the Zion Carter.”

Samantha was happy for her friend and not willing to ruin it with her realistic questions so she kept her opinion to herself.

“But you know Zion may not be able to be with you during the match.”

“I know…he’s a star player and dad says NBA agents will be there. I can’t wait to cheer him up.”

“You’ll be his personal cheerleader!” Samantha giggled as she continued with helping Arielle get dressed. Coach Monroe had gone to the city stadium some hours ago to prep the boys hence Arielle had to go with Samantha.

The crowd at the city center was overwhelming, even from the ticket stand. “There are a lot of people.” The long queue and crowd outside.

“I know, right? It’s the Maplewood’s first official match and there are a lot of international guests.”

Arielle swallowed hard. All her confidence from her pretty dress and makeup disappeared. She hated to be in the crowd, she could already imagine their piteous reactions when they see her on a wheelchair.

“Is it too late to go back?”

“Yes.” Sam holding her wheelchair tightly, “we are here and we’ll have to go in.”

Pushing her to stand in the line. Their eyes all fixed on her some letting out sighs while others tried to look away.

“Wheely girl, I was here first!” A plus size lady yelled attempting to push them back but Samantha held her ground. “We’ve been here for a while and we are not going back.”

Their argument caught the attention of the officials. “No fighting on the lines.”

Seeing Arielle on a wheelchair, she signaled the guards to let her in.

“Hi, can I see your tickets?”

Samantha pulled out her regular as well as Arielle’s vip ticket. “Wow, you have a vip ticket you shouldn’t be on the queue.”

One of the officials led them past the extended lines into the stadium.

“Wow!” Arielle and Samantha mouthed almost immediately.

The flashlights and the vast amount of people cheering and ululating. It was indeed a sight to behold. “So would you like to sit here?”

Pointing at a space in front but it was clustered and the chair was too tight for her wheelchair.

“Can’t we get a bigger space. I have to sit on my wheelchair.” She hated to talk about her wheelchair but it was a necessity at that moment.

“Alright, give me a moment to check other vip sections.” The official ran off in the opposite direction.

The peering eyes made her uncomfortable, immediately wishing she didn’t come out.

“Oh my goodness! It’s Cola girl!” Bianca and her minions spotted her from behind.

“Bianca, just focus on the game, please.” Samantha rolled her eye, trying to turn Arielle’s wheelchair from facing them but Bianca advanced.

“I see you brought your shameful self to the public! You really thought they were going to prepare a special sit for cripples?” She and her friends laughed causing other people around to laugh too.

Arielle’s eyes itches with tears threatening to fall, “Sam, take me out of here.”

Immediately turning the wheelchair to go out when an echoing voice yelled her name.

“Arielle!!!!”

Turning impulsively and checking amidst the crowd. It wasn’t from the audience but from the pitch. The players all lined up ready for the match when he spotted her leaving.

Running past the barricade and up the audience seat. The camera followed his movement.

“Mr. Zion Carter, you need to be on the field.”

“I know.” Addressing the officials, “she has my official ticket and I want her to seat on my reserved spot.”

“Alright, we’ll bring her.”

Pushing past the official, “the game won’t start till the next two minutes, I’ll lead her there by myself.” Taking hold of Arielle’s chair and wheeling her to the section. With the view on the large screen, a large applause followed. Arielle wished the ground would open and swallow her, not for shame but for the zillion butterflies in her belly.