Blind

Chapter 9

Max's POV:
A month has passed and I'm allowed home. In fact, Nancy and Robin are dropping me off right now. Life still isn't normal though, I can still only see silhouettes and blurs, but I can see colours a bit clearer now. I can walk without falling, but the doctor gave me a cane just in case.

Before I left I had another session, and now I'm feeling exhausted. I hate the sessions, people just watching me failing at doing basic skills. It's starting to get on my last nerve, but hopefully being home will help. It's not like I'm done with the sessions yet, not even close. I've still gotta learn how to jump and land on my feet, how to run, and even more things.

Lucas hasn't fixed up, even though he hasn't been so rude to El anymore. But before I could think about anything else, I felt the car stopping. "Here we are Red." Robin said. I smiled, she's called me that ever since we first met. We bonded a lot while El and Will were in California, I just wanted another girl to talk to I guess. Nancy and I are also closer, she taught me a lot of badass things while we were preparing for Vecna. Vecna. Even the name sends shivers down my spine.

Also, while I'm at home someone has to be there, you know, just in case. Robin and Nancy are busy trying to find colleges today so I chose El to help me. Since it's my first day back, we're gonna have to walk around the whole place so I'm familiar with it again. My mum is at work all day so we'll have the house to ourselves.

I got out the car, and Nancy walked me inside. "El's gonna be here any second. Robin and I will come back in the morning for your session, ok?" I nodded, someone also had to sleepover so I didn't get hurt or something.

I walked inside, and I smiled. Im happy I'm home, I was getting sick of the hospital. Nancy gave me a tight hug before walking out. I heard the door shut behind her so I found the sofa, using my hands to make sure I don't fall over anything on the way. I sat down and just looked around when I heard the door opening.

"Hey Max!" El said, excited.
I smiled, "Hey El!" I matched her energy. El has helped me forget about how different my life is, she talks to me as if we were just having a normal hangout, like back when we first became friends.
I felt a dip in the sofa as she sat beside me. "So, what do we have to do first?" El asked.
"I wanna walk around the trailer. You know, get familiar with it again." I said.
"Good idea, let's go!" She stood up and I did too. She held her arm out and I linked mine with hers.
"Thanks. Just tell me the colours of things if I ask, and maybe what they are." I said.
"Ok." El said.
I started walking and she did too.

I went into the bathroom, "Is this orange or blue?" I asked, holding up what I think is a toothbrush.
"Orange." El said, I nodded and walked out.
"Is this my room?" I asked.
"Yep. Your mum hasn't moved anything, it still looks the same." She said.
"Cool." I said. I walked around, feeling around until I went into another room.

This process carried on for about an hour, until I had walked around the whole trailer enough times to remember where most things were. "Ok, I'm done." I said.
"Sure?" El asked.
I nodded. "What time is it?" I asked.
"Uhhh... 14, 10." El said.
I laughed, "You mean 10 past 2?" I asked.
"Oh uh yeah. That." El said, sounding embarrassed.
"Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it." I said.
She didn't answer, I think she nodded, so we just sat down and chilled. I spoke about lots of things while El listened.

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By now it was late, since I couldn't see the light coming through the windows anymore. "Can we watch a movie?" I asked.
"Sure, which one?" El asked.
"Karate Kid." I said. I felt her stand up and dig through movies in the shelf.
"Here it is!" El said, I heard her put it in and the movie starting.
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I heard the credits begin to play, and I felt quite tired, but not enough to sleep. "You ok?" El asked.
"Yeah, I'm not tired yet though." I said truthfully.
"Same, what shall we do now then?" She asked.
"Uhh wanna play truth or dare?" I offered.
"Sure! Ok, truth or dare?" El asked, sounding super excited again.
"Dare." I said, I always pick dare.
"Do 10 star jumps." El said.
I laughed, star jumps are so easy!

I stood up, and put my arms and legs in a star shape. I jumped, but I didn't land on my feet. I fell onto the hard floor, just like in physio. El immediately stood up. "Shit Max, I'm sorry, I forgot." She tried helping me up, but I was pissed.
"Get the fuck off me!" I shouted. "I can't even jump anymore!"
El immediately pulled away, as if she was scared of hurting me. "You'll get better Max-"
"No I won't! It took me a month just to learn how to walk again, imagine jumping!" I got back on my feet, "I can't do anything anymore!"
"That's not true-" She tried.
"Yes it is! And don't act like it's not your fault!" I was shocked I even said that, but I guess I had too much pride to back down now. "It's your fault Vecna existed, and yet I'm dealing with the consequences!" I screamed.

I heard El whisper something, but I didn't hear. "What was that?!" I asked.
"I said I know ok?! I know I've ruined your life, it's the only thing I think about!" I heard her voice breaking, "I always think about how I should've done better, how I should've tried harder, but I didn't. So I punish myself because of it! I don't eat, I barely talk and I can't even sleep! I have to cry myself to sleep every night because of nightmares. I wake Will up with my crying, I stress Joyce out with my problems, and Jonathan is at college!"
"Well I can't fucking see anymore!" I screamed.
"I know!" El sobbed, "I know you can't! And I'm so sorry, I always will be."
"Sorry isn't enough! Starving yourself isn't enough! Your nightmares aren't enough! Nothing you do is enough! It won't help me be normal again!" I screamed.
El didn't answer, but I heard her crying.
"Get out." I said.
"What?" El asked.
"I said, get the fuck out my house!" I shouted, pointing to the door.

I heard her cry even harder but walk away, until eventually I heard the door shut behind her.

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Will's POV:
I was still awake even though it was 2 am. I guess I just slept easier when El was here, but she's sleeping over with Max, which will be good for her.

My thoughts got interrupted by a phone call. Oh, it's El! I answered, happy to hear how her day went with Max. But my smile faded as I heard El breaking down on the phone. "El? What happened? Are you ok?" I asked, worried.
She was still crying heavily, "Can you sleepover with Max tonight? She doesn't want me there anymore. I ruined everything, again."
"Of course I will, I'm coming over right now, ok? It'll be alright." I said, already putting my shoes on.
"Um I'm not gonna be at Max's. I'll see you at home. Just stay with her tonight." El sobbed.
"I can do that, we'll talk about this tomorrow ok?" I said, leaving the house.
"Ok." El said. She hung up and I ran to Max's trailer, even though it was so late.

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I arrived 15 minutes later, and I knocked on the door. No answer. I slowly opened it and saw Max crying on the sofa. I quickly went up to her, "Max, I'm here. What happened?" I asked.
"I-El." She cried out, not being able to speak.
I rubbed her back, "It's ok, what happened? El called me over here, she said you don't want her here anymore."
"I k-kicked her out." She choked out.
"What? Why?" I asked.
"I don't know." She sobbed, "We got into an argument, I started it. I-I was so angry I couldn't even control what I was saying."
"What did you say?" I asked softly.
"I said it was all her fault. Vecna, me not being able to see, I shouldn't have said any of it. I don't even think it's her fault." She said.
"What did she say?" I asked.
"She told me everything. How ruining my life is always on her mind, how she punishes herself for it by not eating and talking, how she can't sleep because of the nightmares." She cried.
"You kicked her out after that?" I asked.
"N-no. I said starving herself wasn't enough. I said the nightmares aren't enough. I even said nothing she does is enough, because it won't make me normal again." She was fully crying by now.

"Did you mean it when you said she's not enough?" I asked.
"Of course I didn't! She's my best friend, someone who's always there for me. And all I did in return was hurt her. Even after you've been helping her all this time. I ruined everything again." She was calming down a bit, so I picked her up and laid her down on her bed.
"She said the same thing. That she ruined everything again. All you have to do it apologise. She needs you in her life Max." I said, stroking her hair as she slowly fell asleep.
"I need her too." She mumbled, before meeting her dreams.

I smiled sadly and grabbed extra blankets and pillows from her cupboard, laying them down on the floor. I tried to call El before I fell asleep, but she didn't answer. She's probably asleep right now. I'll talk to her about this tomorrow. I fell asleep soon after.