Chapter 4
I can hear the argument going on around me, but it’s almost as if I’m a thousand miles away in another world.
She was cheating on me…
She never really liked me…
It was all just a stupid fucking game…
All those times she whispered, “I love you” and kissed me, she was lying…
“Get out.” I hiss firmly, picking up my sketchbook and holding it at an angle to hit whoever didn’t listen.
Immediately the arguing stops and they both look at me.
“I said get out,” I repeat, growling a little.
They both stand and walk out the door, closing it behind them, obviously in shock at my reaction. Walking over to the corner of the room, I slide down the wall and pull my hood up over my head. My sketchbook is in my lap, and opening it, I start tearing out and shredding the pages. After I’m done, I let the sobs shake my chest and the rest of my body.
How could she…?
How could she do that to me...?
Finally once the tears are gone, I pull myself up and push my hood off. After sitting in the corner for that long I can feel the stiffness coursing through my body.
Slowly I get up off the floor. I know Sam and her Dad are both still arguing and it kills me to know she did that to me. Honestly, I don’t know why I still care.
Oh that’s right, you’re crazy and you still love her…
Walking into the bathroom, I brush my teeth and grab a fresh shirt out of my bag. I can tell it’s my favorite black shirt because of the raised embroidered dragon on the back and flames on the side. Quickly changing my shirt, I walk back into my room and then out and down the stairs. Slipping out the front door, I walk down the street. The spring air swirls around me, the sun warming my face and arms.
Today started out well at least… Now it’s just taken a turn for the worst…
Where to go…?
There’s the creek…
And dead man’s cliff maybe…
There’s always Brady’s or Andrew’s house…
Maybe Andrew’s home…
I walk until I hear the familiar giggling of his sister, and his techno music, then cut up the driveway and across the front lawn.
Immediately the giggling stops and I hear Miranda whispering with another girl named Cassie.
“Is that David?” Cassie mumbles.
“I think it is…” Miranda replies, “It could be him… I’m not sure…”
I hear her get up off the grass, and walk towards me.
“David…?” she asks cautiously.
“Miranda?” I reply, forcing a smile.
“Oh my God… it is you…” she whispers, hugging me.
“Would it be anyone else?” I ask, ever so slightly amused.
“True… he’s in the garage, so you know,” she smiles, and walks back across the yard.
Turning back down the driveway, I slip into the backyard, and over towards the garage in the back corner. Opening the door and slipping in silently, I sit on the first couch I can find. All of tech is here… Peace at last… Kevin, Michael, Rachel, Seth, and Andrew. Heh, now if only I could see, it would make this so much better. No one’s noticed me yet, and I’m sort of glad they haven’t. It makes me feel normal to be here, surrounded by the people who care about me. Listening to their voices again, hearing the laughter, the games, and the jokes.
And then all of a sudden all the laughter and talking stops. The room is dead silent around me. I’ve been noticed….
“David!” Rachel screams from across the room and rushes over to hug me.
I can tell everyone is in shock at my appearance and almost immediately I hear the shuffling as everyone comes over to sit on the couches next to me.
“What are you doing here?” Seth asks cautiously, breaking into Rachel’s rants of how good it is to see me.
“It’s good to see you too Seth. What am I doing here? I’m here because my friends are here. And I need to talk to Andrew,” I reply steadily letting my unseeing eyes pan across the group.
“None of us expected to ever see you again bro,” Andrew replies lightly, his hand coming to rest on my shoulder.
“I didn’t expect to be back here myself,” I reply coolly, moving over so Andrew can sit beside me.
“So what brings you here?” he asks, taking the seat I had made for him.
“I need some help… I’m coming back to school on Monday, and I need either you or Kev to help me around the halls,” I softly reply, the silence of the room smothering everyone like a blanket.
“Um…” I hear quietly from across the room.
“I guess no one gave you guys the news…” I mumble.
“What news?” Kev questions, sounding more curious now than he had been.
“I’m blind.” I pause to let the weight of my words hit everyone in the room.
“This could present a problem David…” Andrew whispers. Clearing his throat, he addresses everyone. “Can we have some time alone?”
After several more seconds of silence, I hear the shuffling of feet and a door closing. And then an even worse silence greets me. Uncertainty flows off of Andrew’s being in waves.
And then he speaks.
“I don’t know how to tell you this David, but you can’t join tech.”
She was cheating on me…
She never really liked me…
It was all just a stupid fucking game…
All those times she whispered, “I love you” and kissed me, she was lying…
“Get out.” I hiss firmly, picking up my sketchbook and holding it at an angle to hit whoever didn’t listen.
Immediately the arguing stops and they both look at me.
“I said get out,” I repeat, growling a little.
They both stand and walk out the door, closing it behind them, obviously in shock at my reaction. Walking over to the corner of the room, I slide down the wall and pull my hood up over my head. My sketchbook is in my lap, and opening it, I start tearing out and shredding the pages. After I’m done, I let the sobs shake my chest and the rest of my body.
How could she…?
How could she do that to me...?
Finally once the tears are gone, I pull myself up and push my hood off. After sitting in the corner for that long I can feel the stiffness coursing through my body.
Slowly I get up off the floor. I know Sam and her Dad are both still arguing and it kills me to know she did that to me. Honestly, I don’t know why I still care.
Oh that’s right, you’re crazy and you still love her…
Walking into the bathroom, I brush my teeth and grab a fresh shirt out of my bag. I can tell it’s my favorite black shirt because of the raised embroidered dragon on the back and flames on the side. Quickly changing my shirt, I walk back into my room and then out and down the stairs. Slipping out the front door, I walk down the street. The spring air swirls around me, the sun warming my face and arms.
Today started out well at least… Now it’s just taken a turn for the worst…
Where to go…?
There’s the creek…
And dead man’s cliff maybe…
There’s always Brady’s or Andrew’s house…
Maybe Andrew’s home…
I walk until I hear the familiar giggling of his sister, and his techno music, then cut up the driveway and across the front lawn.
Immediately the giggling stops and I hear Miranda whispering with another girl named Cassie.
“Is that David?” Cassie mumbles.
“I think it is…” Miranda replies, “It could be him… I’m not sure…”
I hear her get up off the grass, and walk towards me.
“David…?” she asks cautiously.
“Miranda?” I reply, forcing a smile.
“Oh my God… it is you…” she whispers, hugging me.
“Would it be anyone else?” I ask, ever so slightly amused.
“True… he’s in the garage, so you know,” she smiles, and walks back across the yard.
Turning back down the driveway, I slip into the backyard, and over towards the garage in the back corner. Opening the door and slipping in silently, I sit on the first couch I can find. All of tech is here… Peace at last… Kevin, Michael, Rachel, Seth, and Andrew. Heh, now if only I could see, it would make this so much better. No one’s noticed me yet, and I’m sort of glad they haven’t. It makes me feel normal to be here, surrounded by the people who care about me. Listening to their voices again, hearing the laughter, the games, and the jokes.
And then all of a sudden all the laughter and talking stops. The room is dead silent around me. I’ve been noticed….
“David!” Rachel screams from across the room and rushes over to hug me.
I can tell everyone is in shock at my appearance and almost immediately I hear the shuffling as everyone comes over to sit on the couches next to me.
“What are you doing here?” Seth asks cautiously, breaking into Rachel’s rants of how good it is to see me.
“It’s good to see you too Seth. What am I doing here? I’m here because my friends are here. And I need to talk to Andrew,” I reply steadily letting my unseeing eyes pan across the group.
“None of us expected to ever see you again bro,” Andrew replies lightly, his hand coming to rest on my shoulder.
“I didn’t expect to be back here myself,” I reply coolly, moving over so Andrew can sit beside me.
“So what brings you here?” he asks, taking the seat I had made for him.
“I need some help… I’m coming back to school on Monday, and I need either you or Kev to help me around the halls,” I softly reply, the silence of the room smothering everyone like a blanket.
“Um…” I hear quietly from across the room.
“I guess no one gave you guys the news…” I mumble.
“What news?” Kev questions, sounding more curious now than he had been.
“I’m blind.” I pause to let the weight of my words hit everyone in the room.
“This could present a problem David…” Andrew whispers. Clearing his throat, he addresses everyone. “Can we have some time alone?”
After several more seconds of silence, I hear the shuffling of feet and a door closing. And then an even worse silence greets me. Uncertainty flows off of Andrew’s being in waves.
And then he speaks.
“I don’t know how to tell you this David, but you can’t join tech.”