Blind Love

Blind Love 2

Blind Love 2

The next morning, Ashley woke up extra early to dress in her cheer uniform and pull her hair up perfectly to meet the girls for practice before school. There was going to be an assembly that morning for fall sports and the cheerleaders were performing.

Pulling her car up to the school, Ashley quickly jumped out and made her way toward the gym. As was typical, she walked in to find the girls gossiping more than practicing. She readied herself to do a back hand spring when she caught what exactly they were talking about.

"I get he's the counselor's nephew, but why does she have to take him everywhere? That would be soo embarrasing," Claire trills.

"He's just so...weird. Why did he act so standoffish yesterday?" someone else complained.

Ashley was getting fed up with their rude remarks and getting ready to intervene when Kelly said something that changed everything.

"Girls," she said quietly. "My dad's the principal, and I asked him about the new kid last night. You'll never guess what's wrong with him."

Everyone's interest peaks as Ashley starts to feel dread. There's something wrong with him? She hopes she didn't hurt his feelings yesterday..

"Well," she says slowly, prepared to drag out her piece of gossip. "My dad says he has moved in with his aunt-the counselor-but that's not the best part. He's blind."

Ashley felt her stomach drop at her words. She can't describe the urge she felt to protect him from all these mean people gossiping about him behind his back. It actually kind of made sense now-the wearing sunglasses thing and never sparing her a glance. She-

"Oh Ashley," Jess snickered. "And you tried to be friends with the kid. Told you he was messed up. Are you sure he's not deaf or mute too? I never saw him say a word yesterday."

Ashley grits her teeth and urges everyone to start practicing. Sometimes they made her so mad-she loves cheering but they make her want to quit sometimes. They won't stop her though. She already promised herself she would become his friend. Now she was more determined than ever. Everybody needs a friend.

***

During the assembly, Ashley searched the room for Brandon while on stage. She thought it would be difficult with so many in the room, but as expected he was in the back corner all by himself with his face in his hands. He looked so sad and alone...

"Ashley, get over here," Jess hissed. She quickly snapped out of it and realized it's time to start cheering. She moves to her place and prepares to start. Her nerves kick in when she's lifted from the ground and thrown in the air. She loved being a flier but sometimes worried the girls wouldn't catch her.

After they're finished, they step off the stage and sit in the front. The football boys are being introduced next. Ashley mentally rolls her eyes. She hated feeling their eyes watching them in their tight uniforms. Sparing a glance to the back of the room, she's surprised to see Brandon sitting up and arguing with his aunt. His face is mostly hidden, but his lips are set in a deep frown as he argues with her. She seems to try and comfort him but he won't have it. He stands up quickly and she leads him out of the gym, leaving Ashley dying to know what upset him.

She starts to stand when Jess flicks her an irritated glance and drones on about whatever she was saying. She sighs, sliding down in her seat and pretending to pay attention to the rest of the assembly.

**

Ashley doesn't see Brandon again until after lunch in drama. She smiles when she hears chatter of the new project they will be working on in pairs. Now she won't have to be a third wheel to someone else's group-she has a partner all her own. Speaking of her partner, he is seemingly the first to arrive in class and sitting still and silent as his usual. If Ashley didn't know he was blind, she would think he was trying to stare a hole in the wall. His same sunglasses were covering his face with his hoodie's hood pulled up covering his hair. She wondered absentmindedly if she would ever see what he looked like.

"Class, class, attention," Ms. Miley chirped from her stage in the front. "We will begin our new projects today. Your partner is beside you and you will research a classic play in history! Be creative, take notes, be prepared to present!"

Ashley smiles thinking about the project. Turning, she sees Brandon with his head propped on his arm staring toward the wall. Blowing out a long breath, she prepares to talk to him.

"Hey, Brandon?" She starts. "Well, it looks like we're partners. What play did you want to do?"

Waiting on Brandon to speak seemed like waiting for rain in a drought. He wouldn't respond, and Ashley was losing patience. Sighing, she stood up and gently touched his arm. Brandon flinched away, leaving Ashley feeling hurt. She put on a smile and cleared her throat.

"Let's go to the library. Ms. Miley lets a few people go there to work in the quiet. We can get more work done there."

Brandon seems to want to speak up, but keeps quiet. Without thinking, Ashley tucks her arm in his and begins leading him from the room. She smiles to herself when he seems to relax further in the empty hall without students.

"So..." Ashley trails. "It's going to be hard to to this project if you won't talk to me. I saw you talking to your aunt, so I know you can. I won't be mean, I swear, I just want to be your friend. I-"

"Fine," he says, and Ashley looks up in shock. It's the first time she's heard him speak, so she listens carefully. "I'll talk. We'll do the project. But you don't want to be my friend."

Ashley frowns, feeling sadness wash over her. How could he say she didn't want to be his friend? He sounded so sad and defeated. It only strengthened her promise to become his friend.

"Oh, Brandon. We're already friends. I decided it. Everyone needs a friend. Even you," she replies while Brandon remains stone faced. "Now, we're at the library. We'll sit at the table in the back." She says while leading him there. She doesn't want to sit near a lot of people since he obviously doesn't feel comfortable talking around them. Hopefully she can get him to talk again.

"Here it is," she says while placing his hands on the armrests of the chair. He slowly sits and remains still. Ashley sighs. How to get him talking?

"Okay, so I was thinking we could do Romeo and Juliet. We read it in freshman English, but there's lots of other stuff we can look up. Then we can perform it-"

"I'm not acting," Brandon quickly interrupts. "There's no way I'm getting in front of all those people who think I'm a freak and making a fool of myself."

"But-" Ashley tries to protest.

"I'm blind. Can't you see that? I can't help you like everyone else can. Maybe we should give up. I can't see. I can't act. I can't read. I can't write. I'm worthless." Brandon finishes in an angry huff. Tears fill Ashley's eyes as she sees Branson truly believes this.

Reaching for his hand she whispers, "Brandon, you're wrong. So you can't do everything normally. I'm your partner and I'm going to help you through this. You are worth more than you think."

Brandon sits there in stunned silence, his hand still laying limp in hers. Rather than reply, he nods shortly and awkwardly pulls his hand away from hers.

"Good," Ashley smiles. "Was my idea okay with you? I need a good grade on this since I kind of screwed up my last project."

Ashley watches him smile faintly, just a quick tug of the lips before it's gone again. "That's fine. I'll try to help, but I'm not the greatest partner out there."

"You'll do great. Besides, who better to work with than my newest friend?"

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