by Shayna B
“I somehow doubt that. There must have been some people who tried to stay friends with you.”
He shook his head. “They tried to stay friends with the person I used to be. Not the person that I am.”
I tilted my head as something occurred to me. “Is that why you’re more willing to talk to me? Because I didn’t know you before?”
“Are you still friends with everyone from before whatever happened to you?” he asked in response.
I opened my mouth to reply and then shut it again as I really thought about that for a minute. “Not really,” I finally said slowly. “Our situations are different, but I think I see where you’re coming from.”
“What I went through was hard enough without having all these people around who wanted me to be who I was before. It was easier to just push everyone away.”
“I can understand that,” I murmured. “Why are you suddenly being so open with me?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know; maybe I just feel bad for being a bit of an ass yesterday. Don’t expect me to be like this all the time though.”
“I won’t; besides, I kind of like your cranky side. It makes for more interesting conversations with you.”
He startled me by chuckling a little. “You’re right; you really aren’t normal.”
“Told you. So are we friends now?”
He sighed and nodded slowly. “I have a feeling I’m going to regret this, but yes; we’re friends.”
Chapter seven
Saturday morning found me driving to Blake’s house in the morning to work on our project together for the first time. In the few days since he’d agreed we were friends, not much had really changed during school aside from me walking him to his second period class every day. Outside of school however, he had started opening up a little and we talked a bit more when we met at the park. But I found that he seemed happiest when we sat quietly on the bench, listening to my Ipod together.
His house was only a five minute drive from mine, which made sense since we both walked to the same park almost every day. I pulled into the driveway and parked the car, gazing at the house as I did so. It wasn’t as big as my uncle’s place, but it was still obviously owned by someone wealthy. I remembered that David had said Blake’s father was in politics, and I idly wondered if the house belonged to him or if it belonged to Sophie’s mom.
I got out of my car and walked to the front door. I rang the doorbell and a moment later it was opened by a woman who looked to be in her late thirties with dark blonde hair and gray eyes that looked at me curiously. “Hello.”
“Hi, I’m Hailey. I’m here to work on a project with Blake.”
Her eyes lit up. “Oh yes, Sophie mentioned that you were coming by. Please, come in.” She stepped back and held her arm out in welcome.
I walked inside and looked around the entranceway. “You have a beautiful home,” I told her.
She smiled warmly. “Thank you. I’m Caroline, by the way. Blake’s aunt.”
“It’s nice to meet you.”
“Believe me, the pleasure is all mine. I can’t believe you’re getting that boy to actually do something. Lord knows I’ve tried everything I can think of for the past two years.”
I shrugged and smiled slightly. “I’m just too stubborn to give up, that’s all.”
“Well, he’s in the office so let me show you the way. Sophie is out right now and I’ll be leaving shortly, but feel free to make yourself at home. I know Blake probably won’t remember to use his manners and offer you something to drink throughout the day.”
I laughed as I followed her down a hallway. “No, manners definitely aren’t his strong suit, that’s for sure.”
She stopped in front of an open door and gestured for me to go in. “Go ahead. All the electronics in here are voice activated so Blake can use them all. Don’t let him con you into doing all the work by trying to use the fact that he’s blind as an excuse.”
I tossed a grin at her over my shoulder as I passed her to go into the office. “Oh, I won’t.” I turned to look ahead of me and saw Blake sitting on a loveseat with a scowl on his face. I moved towards him and sat next to him. “Good morning sunshine.”
He grunted and rubbed his hands over his face. It was only then that I noticed he wasn’t wearing his sunglasses, but he spoke before I could concentrate on that fact. “Let’s get this stupid project started.”
I looked back at the doorway and saw that Caroline had left already. I turned back to Blake and my breath caught in my throat when I saw that he was facing me. His eyes were a gorgeous and startling blue colour that reminded me of a clear summer sky. But that wasn’t what had startled me; it was the fact that he appeared to actually be looking at me. There was no deformity in his eyes and I was suddenly very curious as to how he’d become blind. “You’re not wearing your sunglasses,” I said dumbly.
He rolled those beautiful eyes. “Aren’t you observant,” he muttered. “I almost never wear them at home.”
“Why do you wear them at all?”
“Because I can see shadows and it can be really distracting when I’m out. The sunglasses make everything completely dark, so it’s easier to concentrate on my surroundings.”
“Oh,” was my brilliant reply. Apparently his eyes had the power to make me turn into a moron. Mentally shaking myself, I let out a quiet breath. “Well, I think your eyes are nice.”
His brows winged up at my words. “Oh, um, thanks.” He blinked a few times and then turned his head away from me. “Are we going to work on the project or not?”
We spent the next two hours doing research and coming up with our outline. I was surprised to find that Blake was actually incredibly smart. With how he never did anything in classes, I’d expected him to not really have any ideas for the project. But apparently he listened very closely to the teacher when he spoke, because he remembered everything we’d been taught so far.
When we decided to take a break, he led me out to the back deck. I found myself becoming fascinated with watching how easily he moved through the house, effortlessly maneuvering around furniture. I wondered how long it had taken him to learn where everything was and if he ever became tripped up if something was moved out of place.
We sat on patio chairs and enjoyed the autumn sun. The weather was starting to get cooler during the day, indicating that winter wasn’t too far away. That made me realize that it had been more than nine months in the accident and I thought back over how much my life had changed in the past year.
I was so lost in my own little world that when Blake touched my arm, I jumped and twisted slightly, then hissed out a breath when my back spasmed at the sudden movement. Blake’s expression was curious when I looked at him. “Are you alright?” he asked me.
“Yeah, I just moved funny and twinged something in my back,” I said casually. “What is it you wanted?”
“I asked if you wanted something to drink, but you didn’t respond. That’s why I nudged your arm.”
“Oh, sorry I was in my own little world. I’d love something to drink.”
“Come with me then,” he said, getting to his feet and walking back into the house.
I followed him into the kitchen and sat at the table as he moved to the cupboards. He ran his hands over the front of them and then opened one and took out two glasses. “Water okay?”
“Sure.”
He moved to the fridge and opened it. Reaching carefully inside, he felt around until he found the jug of water. He took it out and pulled the top off, bringing it to his nose so that he could sniff it quickly. Satisfied that he’d managed to find the water, he cautiously poured two glasses and put the jug back in the fridge. Then he brought the glasses to the table and set one down near me before sitting across from me. “There you go.”
I picked up the glass and took a sip. “Thanks.”
Abby wandered into the kitchen and padded over to Blake. She laid her head in his lap and he absently pet her as he drank his water. “You said
you’ve had her for a year and a half?” I asked him.
“Yeah, something like that.”
“Why don’t you bring her to school?”
“I don’t want to draw any more attention to myself than I already do. People think that because I’m blind means I can’t tell that they’re staring at me.”
“People are ignorant,” I replied.
He seemed surprised at my answer. “I’ve often thought so, especially in the past couple of years.”
“Can I ask you something?”
His lips twisted slightly. “Depends on what it is.”
“That first day in class, could you hear the music on my Ipod?”
This obviously wasn’t what he’d expected me to ask. “Yeah, I could. When I lost my sight, my other senses definitely increased, especially my hearing.”
“Well that’s kind of cool. You could totally eavesdrop on people without them knowing.”
He shook his head with a small smile. “You’re kind of devious sometimes.”
I grinned. “Yeah, I know.” My cell phone rang and I dug it out of my pocket. When I saw that it was my Jared, I answered it. “Hey.”
“Hey Hales, what time are you planning on coming home?”
“I’m not sure yet. Why?”
“I have a date this afternoon and I don’t know how long I’ll be. I want to get a session in with you before I go in case I’m late.”
I groaned. “Can’t we just move it to another day?”
“No, because we already moved this one from Thursday. You know you can’t go that long yet.”
I grumbled under my breath but agreed reluctantly. “Fine, I’ll be home within the next hour.” I hung up and put my phone back in my pocket. “I’m going to have to head home soon,” I told Blake.
“I think I’m about done with any kind of school work for today anyways. Do you want to work on it one night during the week?”
“Yeah, maybe on Tuesday.” I brought my glass to the sink and set it inside before leaning against the counter. “Would you be interested in coming to dinner at my place one night? I’ll make sure no one else is home so you don’t have to worry about meeting anyone if you don’t want to.”
“Maybe; I’ll let you know.”
“Okay, well I guess I’ll see you on Monday then.”
“You won’t be at the park tomorrow?”
I hesitated for a moment. “I don’t usually go on Sundays.”
“I know. This is my way of asking if you want to meet up there for a little bit.”
“You’re actually offering to spend time with me?” I asked in surprise.
He scowled and crossed his arms over his chest. “If you’re going to make a big deal over it, then just forget it.”
“Jeez, you’re so touchy. What time do you want to meet there?”
He shrugged. “Around two?”
I mentally reshuffled my day around, deciding to visit Jake in the morning instead of the afternoon. “Sure, I’ll see you then.” I didn’t let him know how thrilled I was that he had actually initiated hanging out with me. “I’ll let you know if anything changes.”
He got to his feet. “I’ll walk you to the door.”
I followed him back to the front of the house. He opened the door for me and stepped to the side. I paused in front of him and touched his arm lightly. “Have a good afternoon.”
“You too.”
I grimaced when I thought of what I’d be going through shortly, but I didn’t say anything. Instead I walked to my car and climbed in. I drove home and found Jared waiting for me in the therapy room. I sighed and walked in. “Let’s get this over with.”
An hour later I went into the music room and sat at the piano. My back felt better than it had for a while, but I hated the therapy sessions because they could be pretty painful sometimes. Today hadn’t been too horrible though, and I was in a pretty good mood as I started playing a few tunes. I soon lost myself in the music and sang along quietly with a small smile on my lips.
When I became aware of the fact that I was being watched, I turned around. Liam and Jared were both leaning in the doorway smiling at me. “What?” I asked a little self-consciously.
“It’s been awhile since you’ve played something so happy,” Liam stated.
“Especially after a therapy session,” Jared added.
I shrugged. “I’m making progress with Blake. I guess that makes me happy.”
“Uh huh,” Jared said with a smirk.
“Don’t start,” I said warningly.
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” He came in and gave me a quick hug. “I’m just glad to hear you singing something upbeat again. It’s been quite some time since that happened.”
I frowned a little. “Have I really only been playing sad and melancholy songs?” I asked them both.
“Yeah,” Liam said. “Like Jared, I like hearing you play the piano for enjoyment, rather than as a release for your pain.”
“Huh. I didn’t even realize I was doing that.”
“Well, I need to go get ready for my date,” Jared informed us. “I’ll see you both later.”
He left and Liam cocked his head to the side. “Since it’s just you and I tonight, do you want to go out for dinner somewhere?”
“Sure. Where were you thinking?”
“Doesn’t matter to me. Come find me later and we’ll head out.”
He left as well and I turned back to the piano. I started playing again and my smile was bigger this time. I’d started on this journey with Blake to heal him; but apparently he was healing me as well.
Chapter eight
I walked through the halls of the hospital the next morning, heading to Jake’s room. It was a little quieter than I was used to, probably because I’d never been there in the morning before. I always went in the afternoons, either after school on Wednesday’s or after lunch on Sunday’s.
I reached Jake’s room and was about to go in when I saw that someone was already in there. I paused and looked at the young red-headed woman in surprise. “Amanda?”
Her head popped up and I could see tear tracks on her cheeks. “Hailey, I wasn’t expecting to see you.” She wiped at her tears and gave me a small smile.
I walked in and stood on the other side of the bed, regarding her curiously. “I didn’t know you came to visit him.”
She let out a slow breath. “I don’t get here as often as I would like to, but I try and make it at least once every other week.” She looked down at Jake and reached up to touch his cheek gently. “We may have broken up before this happened, but I still love him.”
I sat down in the chair by the bed. “He still loved you, you know. The night of the accident, he told me so.” I took Jake’s hand in mine. “I think he was regretting letting you go.”
“I never should’ve ended things with him. I was just so frustrated that he wouldn’t make any real commitment to me. We were together for four years and he never once mentioned getting married or what our plans were for the future.” She let out a shaky laugh. “It all seems so stupid now.”
Jake had met Amanda in his first year of university. He’d been studying to be a doctor, and Amanda was studying to be a psychiatrist. The four years they’d been together had been the happiest I’d ever seen Jake, and I’d given him a lot of crap when he hadn’t done anything to try and get Amanda back after she broke up with him. “It’s amazing how what seemed so important in the past really doesn’t mean anything now.”
“I’ve often thought that recently.” She was silent for a moment before looking over at me. “How have you been doing?”
I shrugged. “Things are getting better. I like my new school and I’ve made some good friends.”
“That’s good. And your back is doing better?”
“Yeah, though I still have bad days. But for the most part it doesn’t bother me too much.”
We chatted a little more for the next fifteen minutes and then she left. When she was gone, I sat in silence
for a few minutes and then shook my head. “You really are an idiot for letting her go, Jake. If you ever wake up, I’ll be sure to remind you of that a lot.”
When I was done catching him up on the last few days of my life, I left and grabbed some lunch at the cafeteria. Then I drove home to get Tonto, who insisted on bringing his Frisbee, so I could meet Blake at the park like we’d arranged.
He was already there when I arrived, so I took my regular seat beside him, shivering a little due to the cooler weather. Since it was now October, the weather was getting colder and winter was just around the corner, waiting to sneak up on us when we least expected it. “Hey,” I murmured as I settled beside him.
“Hey,” he replied, and that was the extent of our conversation for a while. I was lost in thought as I recalled the conversation I’d had with Amanda. It was the first time I’d shared my time with Jake with anyone and I was surprised that I hadn’t really minded it. When Blake spoke again, it startled me a little. “What are you doing?”
I turned to him and was slightly surprised to realize that I had unconsciously shifted closer until I was practically pressed against his side. “Apparently I’m trying to steal your warmth.”
“What if I don’t want you to steal it?”
“Then you shouldn’t be so warm,” I replied.
“Maybe you should’ve worn something warmer,” he retorted.
I sighed and shook my head. “Don’t be an ass.”
“How am I being an ass?”
“By making such a big deal out of the fact that my body was naturally seeking warmth from you. It’s not a big deal and you’re making an issue out of it for no reason.”
He frowned and was silent for a moment. Then with a sigh he lifted his arm and settled it over my shoulders, enveloping me in warmth. “Better?” he asked.
I grinned. “Much.” I leaned my head back on his arm and closed my eyes, enjoying the weak sunlight. I remained like that until Tonto dropped his chin on my lap. I opened my eyes and saw him looking at me imploringly, Frisbee clamped hopefully in his mouth. I laughed and patted his head. “Tonto wants to play.” I got to my feet and looked down at Blake. “Come on, you can play too.”