Maybe Ariel just hadn't been up to the Compound enough lately, but she had never before seen anyone in a chair like the boy coming down the boardwalk was in. A chair with wheels! It was like a giant stroller, self-propelled.
"Hello," she said cheerfully, stepping out of his way so he had more room to maneuver. "I like your wheeled chair."
Smiling crookedly, Jason hesitated, if only because her kind of butchering the word and the fact that it was a line he usually heard come out of kids at least half her age.
"Thanks," he said, rapping his knuckles on one of the tires. Not quite affectionately, but maybe an acknowledgment of how important it was to him. It was something he still hadn't quite accepted yet.
"I've never seen anything like it, it really is quite clever," Ariel continued, peering at the wheel he'd just knocked. She walked to the back of the chair. "Are these handles in the back for pushing it? Would you like me to push you down the path? It would probably be much easier than doing it yourself, I'll bet."
"Might be easier, sure," he said, nodding his head and flashing her a grin, "But it wouldn't be quite the same. I think I need to make it out there on my own."
He didn't expect her to know what it was he was getting at, being a stranger and all, but it was just something he needed to do. He needed to get there off his own steam.
"I'm Ariel," she replied with a warm smile. She hoped he'd let her push him another time, though she didn't ask. She didn't really know why, it just seemed like it would be kind of fun, and probably nice for him.
"Can I walk with you, then? If you want company..."
Ariel. The name sounded familiar, and for a moment he looked at her, lips quirked into a bemused smile. Red hair and... Nah.
"Yeah, of course," he nodded, continuing along down the path and letting her fall into step beside him, "I didn't want to be alone or anything, I just got impatient."
"Hello," she said cheerfully, stepping out of his way so he had more room to maneuver. "I like your wheeled chair."
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"Thanks," he said, rapping his knuckles on one of the tires. Not quite affectionately, but maybe an acknowledgment of how important it was to him. It was something he still hadn't quite accepted yet.
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He didn't expect her to know what it was he was getting at, being a stranger and all, but it was just something he needed to do. He needed to get there off his own steam.
"I'm Jason."
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"Can I walk with you, then? If you want company..."
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"Yeah, of course," he nodded, continuing along down the path and letting her fall into step beside him, "I didn't want to be alone or anything, I just got impatient."
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