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Chapter 12

“Jeremiah, can I talk to you?”

     I turned to see Amelia standing in her doorway.

     “Um, yeah sure, I’m not busy.”

     “Do you know how to write?”

     “Not in regular print, why?”

     “I just wanted to teach you, since you only have two days here in the peace and quiet.”

     “What do you mean peace and quiet?”

     “Don’t be so naïve.”

     “I don’t—“Amelia pulled me into her room quite suddenly. “What was that about?”

     “We can’t speak of such things in the hallway someone could be listening.”

     “Huh?”

     “The escape, if someone had heard us they would’ve sabotaged the whole plan.”

     “What would the escape have to do with what we were talking about?”

     “Let’s go back in time, you said ‘what do you mean peace and quiet?’ I said ‘don’t be so naïve’ I wanted to say: do you really think the escape is going to be all that good and easy?”

     “Oh, well I hope it goes that well.”

     “If it does, there is something wrong.”

     I gave a clueless blink.

     “Don’t you see? After this there is no time to sit down and talk without being paranoid.”

     “What about when we reach New York?”

     “I guess we’ll be pretty safe, if Santiago is correct.”

     “I see.” I looked around Amelia’s room. You are probably expecting me to give an explanation about Amelia’s wall’s well all I have to say about that is: white. That’s it, no mural, just a whole lot of nothing. Her room looked just like Elizabeth’s if it hadn’t been decorated. Her blanket was red, but that was the only thing that made her room exiting. “Um.” Was all I could muster as I gestured at the walls.

     “I didn’t want one.” Amelia looked at floor in guilt.

     “Well, why? It seems like the only creative thing to do around here.”

     “I didn’t want to ruin the walls.”

     “I have a feeling it’s more than that.”

     Emotion flashed in her eyes. “I don’t want to talk about it blind boy.”

     Now it was my turn to get mad. “Do not ever say that again.”

     “I don’t care I will call you that all I want.” Something had snapped inside of Amelia, she wasn’t herself.

     “I hated being blind. Do you know what it’s like to be blind? It’s horrible. I have to do everything the same everyday. I can’t try new things. I didn’t even have someone to be my guide! I was rejected cast off, and unwanted by my own parents! I was so limited; I just wanted to rip free! NEVER CALL ME THAT! I AM WHO I AM NOW!” I know it’s strange that I had freaked out like that. Something about Amelia snapping like that just made me feel so furious somehow.

     “YOU DON’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO! YOU ARE JUST A STUPID BLIND BOY WITH NO RIGHTS!”