Lead Me Astray - Updated Every Monday

Chapter Eighteen ~ Hunter

I had Frankie's books in my backpack as I walked into the library. I was nervous but also excited to know what she'd gotten me. I couldn't believe she'd gotten me a present. I felt light on my feet like I was gliding on ice but nope. I was in my boots.

I went to the back of the library and saw her with her head bent as she cleaned her glasses on her shirt. I suddenly wanted to see her without her glasses on. So I called her name. "Frankie?!"

She looked up, straight at me. Her eyes were beautiful... Without her glasses, her eyes were so much bigger and I could see hints of gold and what looked like green in them. I almost fell but I recovered well and kept walking to her.

I took a seat at the table. "Hey?"

"Hey?" She looked at me like I was crazy.

I smiled but realized she might not be able to see me. "Can you see well without those?"

Her eyebrow swung up. "They're not for show."

"No, I know. But can't people still see without them?"

"It depends on the person and their visual limitations." She finished and was going to put the frames back on her tiny fat nose but I took them from her. "I don't really like being without my eyes."

I smiled. She called her glasses her eyes? "So can you? See?"

She stared at me, her eyes growing the longer she was without her "eyes". For some reason, it looked like she was staring right into my eyes. "No."

"So everything's all black and stuff?"

"Hunter,-"

"Hunt." I corrected, still not giving up her glasses.

She huffed. "If I tell you, will you give me back my glasses?"

"Story first." I bargained.

"I no longer like you."

I thought she was making a joke and although that stung a bit, I laughed.

"Cliff notes version; had perfect eyesight, had an accident, lost perfect eyesight."

I knew she was leaving out lots of middle but she hadn't answered my actual question yet. "But can you see?"

"Nothing important."

"What's unimportant?"

She shoved her bangs out of her face. "Color, alright?! I can only see color!"

I frowned cuz that sounded way weird. "You can only see color?"

She looked defeated. "Yeah."

"But how?"

"I don't know, Hunt. After-, I was just so happy I was able to keep my eyes in my head, it didn't matter that I couldn't see. Then things-" She stopped, struggling. "My vision returned later but I could only see color. I can't see writing or shapes or anything that's not just a damn color."

"But you're looking at me right now." I didn't understand.

"Because-! Because you have blue eyes in a white face, Hunter. This library is dark as hell and you stand out because you have pale skin and pretty blue eyes." She looked away from me.

And I heard her. I swear I did. But the only thing I caught was, "You think my eyes are pretty?"

She frowned and looked at me again. "What?"

"My eyes. You said "your pretty blue eyes". You think my eyes are pretty?"

Her mouth fell open like she was going to say something but she didn't.