The awkwardness was killing Cole. Situations like these usually made him anxious, even giving him panic attacks. But he couldn’t afford a panic attack right now since Susan wasn’t around to save him. Plus, Daniel deserved the silence he was getting. Did Daniel really expect he would come back and they would act as if nothing had changed? Did he really think Cole would forget?

Cole’s Mom looked at them both. “You’d think that after such a long time you guys would be chatting away.”

“We’re guys, Mom. We don’t talk a lot,” Cole said dryly.

And that’s what happened for the rest of the ride — complete silence. Well, his mom did turn up the radio to diffuse the tension and awkwardness, but besides that, there was nothing. Ten minutes later they pulled up next to the park.

His mom dropped them off at the front so they could stroll in the park while she searched for a decent parking spot that wouldn’t bake her car. Cole also believed she did it to give them some privacy. It seemed Daniel took the hint pretty quickly since he started talking the moment she drove off.

“I’m sorry about what happened, man. What that guy did was terrible.” He tried to push Cole’s chair but Cole was already out of reach.

“It sucks, but I just have to deal with it.” Cole pushed aggressively on the wheel, trying to get ahead of Daniel. Somehow Daniel managed to keep up.

They went through the big gates of the park and it was at this moment that the discomfort crept up on Cole. He tried to push it back. He tried to tell himself that the people weren’t staring at him but just gazing. He tried to keep his anxiety in check and not let it get the better of him. He failed on all fronts. His wheelchair no longer went forward but instead stopped, pivoted, and went in the other direction.

His chair suddenly came to a halt without any action from him. When he looked for what caused it he saw that Daniel was holding the chair back.

“Come on, man,” Daniel said.

“Let me go.” Cole struggled against his grip.

Daniel shook his head. “Can’t do that, bro. I promised your mom that I would help you do this.”

“So you’re working together, great. This is stupid.”

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“It’s just for an hour. That’s it, and then you can go back home. Fresh air is good for you.”

Cole sighed. “This sucks.”

Daniel grabbed the handles, turned Cole around, and pushed him forward.

“The good part is I know a spot that’s far away from the crowd.”

Cole ran his hand over the wheels to push them out of Daniel’s grip. “Fine just don’t push me.”

“That’s okay, as long as we get there.”

Cole got a glimpse of Daniel smiling though he wasn’t sure why. The deeper they went into the park, the calmer he got. Cole figured that was because there were fewer people here but soon realized that it was mostly due to the environment.

The morning sun gave the plants an enchanting glow. The breeze was cool and the sky seemed to be a different shade of blue, but he knew that wasn’t so. Since it was so early in the day, the sun’s warmth was comforting instead of scorching. He didn’t remember that Daniel was here until he spoke again.

“I just wish things were different, you know. I wish we didn’t have to deal with this stuff,” Daniel said.

“I’m the one dealing with it, not you,” Cole said. “I haven’t seen you since what… since I was nine.”

“You didn’t want me around. What was I supposed to do?”

“Why’d you come to my house, man? What do you want?”

“I’ve been trying to talk to you for months. I texted. I called. I even emailed you for Christ’s sake. I went so far as to send you game invites and you ignored me. After I heard about your accident—”

“What? You felt sorry for me and decided you’d pass through.”

“I might not be in your shoes, but I can understand how limited you must feel. Shutting people out doesn’t erase that feeling. Staying in your room doesn’t make the world disappear. That’s why your mom brought you out here, so you can see that.”

“I’ve been a cripple for two days and you guys think I’m hiding from the world?”

“You’ve been hiding long before that. Since your first accident. And now’s the right time to stop.”

Cole laughed at his statement. “What?” Cole couldn’t believe this. “Now’s the right time?” He mocked. “I can barely use the bathroom on my own much less come outside. How am I supposed to do anything?”

“If you had looked at my invites you would’ve known.” Daniel took out his phone and quickly opened a webpage. “This is Fate Maker one of the best VRMMORPG ever made.”

“VR… virtual reality?” Cole asked.

Daniel nodded. “Saying it’s the best is kind of a cheap shot at the others that aren’t completely developed and fully on the market yet, but that’s not the point. The point is Fate Maker can give you the chance to live life however you want. You can become someone new and start a legend everyone will remember.”

“Ok sales rep, take it down a notch,” Cole examined the page. “It doesn’t look like what I’ve been wanting to do all my life.”

“But it’s pretty close. It has themes and settings from ancient cultures.” Daniel smiled at the recognition in Cole’s eyes.

“Why didn’t you say that first?”

“A good salesman knows to put the sinker at the end of the pitch.”

“It sounds cool and all, but that price tag looks out of my reach. My mom can barely pay my medical bills. There’s no way she can afford this.”

“I know, and I’ve thought about it. I can help. It’s the least I could do.”

Cole thought about it. The thought of visiting ancient sites in their prime sent bolts through his body. It would be better than visiting dig sites and looking at recovered artifacts. He could be in ancient Rome with the people, the buildings, and everything. But he knew that even if Daniel helped to pay for it, the rest would be difficult to cover. An idea came to mind.

He quickly dialed a number on his phone. “Hey, Frank, I need a favor.”