Wheelchair Pajama Party

  When I was younger people who didn't know me often told me how lucky I was to be in a wheelchair, because no one would scold me or deny me anything out of fear of offending me. I wished. But one time I decided to test that theory.

"Why aren't you ready for school? Doesn't your bus get here in a few minutes?" my sister asked as we sat at the table eating breakfast.

"I'm going to school in my pajamas," I told her.

"Why?" she inquired.

"Why not? It's not like they're going to say anything -- I'm in a wheelchair."

  I was wearing my Winnie the Pooh T-shirt, green polkadot fleece pants and Pooh Bear slippers. I draped my fleece blanket around my shoulders. My short blonde hair was swiftly brushed, but I still looked like I'd just rolled out of bed.

"I thought you didn't like to play that card," my sister accused.

"Yeah, well today is finals and I want to be comfortable," I confessed.

  I've always had test anxiety and I am pretty sure it has to do with the exit test we had to take in public school. I decided this time I was going to feel as relaxed as possible and that meant wearing my fleece pants and Winnie the Pooh slippers.

"You're gonna get in trouble," my sister warned.

  Our parents weren't home to reprimand me, having left for work a half hour ago. I was about to mention this to my sister when the interrupting 'beep, beep' signaled my bus' arrival.

"We'll see," I said, as I headed out the door.

"You're looking comfy today," the bus driver noted as I drove up onto the wheelchair lift.

"Test day," I said.

"You must have been up late studying," she assumed.

"Didn't have time to get ready," I joked. "Actually, I just wanted to be comfortable. Test stress me out."

"You got this, girl, you're a smart lady," my bus driver assured me.

  I was glad I'd brought my fleece blanket with me. I wrapped it around me and bunched up the back of it under my head for a pillow. I managed to sleep through two pick ups and the five minute ride to school.

  When we arrived, I entered the school feeling a little timid about my bold decision. What if my sister was right and I did get in trouble. My parents would be furious if they had to leave work just because I blatantly broke the dress code and thus failed my classes. I made my way to the cafeteria to meet a couple of friends before our first class.

"Are you attending a slumber party?"

  It was the assistant principal! Well, I couldn't take my decision back now.

"Yep, after the test I'm going home and going to sleep!" I said cheerfully.

  Surprisingly, she just laughed. "I wish I had my PJ's on!" she sighed. "I need some sleep. Good luck on your test." The assistant principal left the cafeteria with her coffee.

  It worked! I found my friends sitting at our usual spot by the large windows.

"You guys are not gonna believe this..." I proceeded to tell them about my idea to wear pajamas and my encounter with the assistant principal.

"She didn't get mad or send me to the office for violating dress code. Maybe using wheelchair perks every now and then wouldn't be so bad..." It was then I noticed my friends were on the verge of laughing.

"What's so funny?" I asked confused.

"Of course you didn't get in trouble, don't you remember what the principal said over the announcements yesterday?"

"I was out yesterday because of a doctor appointment," I said.

"Oh," my friend said, "well today is pajama day for finals."

  It was then I finally noticed all of my friends were in Pajama pants and T-shirts. One had brought a teddy bear while another, like me, had a fleece blanket in her lap.

"So much for wheelchair perks," I sighed.

"Not true. Today we all get wheelchair perks!" my friends cheered.