Chapter One - DifferentA Chapter by Collette PaigeI'm blind. Weird? Hard to get used to? Considering I was born blind, and I'm 16 now I think I'm pretty used to it. My name is Ree. I am blind, 16, and going to a school with a bunch of people who AREN'T blind. I'm not annoyed, or angry really, just jealous. I don't have any friends because they don't want to have to help me to class or anything, and I wear band T-shirts and ripped up skinny jeans. I'm pretty skinny and I don't know if I'm beautiful or not. Mom used to say I was, but if that's the case, then why was she always drunk? She thought I didn't know, that I couldn't see the beer bottles. She's right, I couldn't, but I could sure as hell smell the alchol, hear her chug it, and feel the empty bottles on the floor. That's beside the point. This isn't about my mother.
This is about me.
It was my first day at the new school in Minnesota. I wasn't scared, really, just nervous. If there's a difference. In all honesty, all I wanted was to have one friend who didn't treat me like some mentally retarded person. I'm not. I'm smarter than a lot of people, in english anyway, and at least average in math. People always see me as a handicap, nothing more. But I actually want to know somebody. And I want them to know me. As I walked down the halls though, I knew that that would never happen.
"hey!" I heard someone shout. They were far away, but I could hear them pretty well. I took Jenny (my sight stick, I named her when I was a kid) and waved her across the floor in front of me. For all I knew, that person could be talking to someone else, so I said nothing. "Your blind aren't cha?" Okay...he was talking to me. I continued onward, saying nothing. "Are ya deaf too?" I growled, still saying nothing, scanning in front of me with Jenny...and hitting something. I felt with my hands...a face was right in front of me. The boy. "No." I said, a strong voice, to show I wasn't mute either. "Oh, well, I just wanted to know why you don't wear sunglasses, like other blind people." Ah, I should have known that was the question he was going to ask. Most people who are blind wear sunglasses so people don't see their eyes. But I figured, if I'm blind, how do I know if their staring? And why should I care? "I can't see people staring. And even if you wear sunglasses, people know your blind." I said, taking Jenny and poking where I thought his chest was. "I guess that makes sense...well, I'm Christian. What's your name?" Should I go by Edda here? Nova? Or My Real name? "Ree." I said bluntly. I'm not sure if he's smiling...but he sounds happy. "nice to meet cha Ree. Do you want me to take you to your first class? Or can you do it yourself?" I was a bit surprised...it was after the first bell so I thought he would be hurrying to class, but he was willing to help me. Not only that, but he asked...if I was capable. "um..That'd be nice, thanks." I said, holding out my hand and tracing it across his face until I found his shoulder. "lead the way..." I said, smiling a little bit. He started walking, and I followed. It was silent for a while and then - "Do you get sad? I mean...not being able to see the world?" Christian asked, a bit nervous about such a question, I'm sure. "Yeah, I mean...I never know if people are flipping me off or doing anythinng rude and that always keeps me on edge, but I can hear the world. I can smell it. I can feel it. When you have things like that, who really needs sight?" After I said that, I regretted it, because he didn't respond for what seemed like hours. "I know you won't believe me...but...you're pretty. Just because you can't see yourself doesn't mean you have to tell yourself you aren't." he said. I opened my mouth to speak but he inturupted me, stating we were at my class...he must have snuck a peek at my schedule to know exactly where he was taking me. I press my fingers against the sign on the door. It clearly states, in brail-- "room 980?" I ask. "I'm in 890. You had it backwards..." I said, dismayed. I was so entirely late. "What? but the numbers say 980...they must have put the brail on wrong..." he said. Maybe it was because of all the pranks I had been the joke of in all my other schools, or maybe it was the stubborness my mom said was like my father's, but I didn't trust Christian. "I don't care, I'm not going in, a*s hole." I said, scowling. I heard him step back a bit... "Dude, who would lie to a blind girl?" This sent me over the edge. I slowly walked to where I had heard the noise of his feet. I felt around his chest until I found his neck... and with all my srength I pulled his shirt up, rising him, sadly, only a cenimeter off the ground. He was heavy...I dropped him, and shoved him down on the tile instead. Slowly, I got ontop of him, staring down. "I am not some sort of charity case!" I screamed, hearing my echo. "I am a NORMAL HUMAN BEING!" I belched even louder. I knew this wasn't a good way to start the year but... "Ms. Cratchrat?" I heard someone say. I looked up, forgetting for a moment that I could not see. It sounded authoritive...probably a teacher. "What?" I said, a bit angrily. "If I see what I think I see...are you attacking Mr. Lorenzo here?" I let go of Christian's collar, suddenly embarassed. "um..." "No Mr. Hendrick." Christian said... What? What the hell was he talking about? "I...forced her on the floor...and I made out with her...I just...I apoligize it's not her fault. She was yelling because I was harrassing her." Wait, what?! Christian was crazy. How could he prove that? And if he could, he just got himself in serious trouble. "Is this correct, Ms. Cratchrat? Was Mr. Lorenzo harrassing you?" "I-" I didn't want to get him trouble but...I didn't want to start of on a bad foot. "Kind of...I didn't really...reject it. So I was mad at him...and myself. I swear I didn't mean to." There, now at least Christian got a little less blame. I was about to get off Christian when he kissed me. I closed my eyes, though it made no difference to my sight, and to my surprised I didn't pull back...why? Did I liked it? I don't know, but I kisse him harder, wrapping my arms aound him, pulling closer... and he pushed me back. Of course. He was disgusted. That was just for show. He didn't do it because he wanted too. He only just met me, and I was blind. "Later, Ree." he said...and just like that Christian was running down the hall. Away from me.
© 2011 Collette Paige |
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1 Review Added on March 28, 2011 Last Updated on April 6, 2011 AuthorCollette PaigeGrapevine, TXAboutI like to write short stories and am working on some novels of my own. I know I'm not much, but to me this kind of like my life. I love music to my heart's content, so that's something I willing t.. more..Writing
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