I Don't Need Eyes To See

Chapter 1

The car pulled up in the drop of zone. The school year started tomorrow. Out the front of Laytoph Boarding School, students in casual attire were saying goodbye to their families until the end of term holidays. Harmony wasn't too keen to start at another new school but her mother had insisted that this year would be different.

"So..." Her mum tried to get a conversation going. "What do you think?"

"I think that I won't know how big it is until I get inside." Harmony wished her mum didn't treat her as if she could actually see the huge brick building sitting 100 metres away. The walls were filled with windows every 2 metres. All 3 stories were going to be filled with over 1000 students from years 7-12 over the course of the year.

"I know this is hard for you, honey," her mum said, "but St Peter's just wasn't working for you. I know that-"

"Can we skip the 'starting-a-new-school-speech' mum?" Harmony cut in. "You do this very time." Sh kissed her mother on the cheek. "Love you. See you in the holidays." With that, she opened the car door, extended her White Cane and went to the trunk, got out her bags and started to walk to the entrance of the large building.

All around her teenagers were cooing at their parents: how much their going to miss them-blah, blah, blah. Harmony relied on her ears and Cane to help guide her through the maze of people either stationary or on the move towards the entry. Everyone had suitcases and duffel bags filled with their belongs and other things that would make their dorms feel a little more like home. As she walked, she listened to snatches of people's conversations: What happened over Christmas, how David cheated on Alex with Erica... Just things that might help her fit in. Hearing the quick thudding footsteps of someone running towards her, she side-stepped. A boy of 17 ran passed her, a duffel bag in each hand.

"Out the way!" he cried, "Coming through!" He bumped into a girl Harmony's age, causing her to lose her grip on her duffel bags.

"Hey!" Harmony suddenly didn't like this random. "Watch where you're going!" She made her way over to the girl, her Cane helped her find a few things had bounced out of the girl's bags when they had been dropped.

"No room for stragglers here, kid!" He shouted back, reaching the entrance. Harmony huffed, she didn't like people like him. She looked downs and could hear the girl grabbing her things. Harmony stood her suitcase up, bent down and picked up a book that had come out of one of the bags. She rubbed her fingers over the elevated title.

"Thanks for helping me," the girl said, straightening up. "But can I ask? What are you doing?"

"Finding out what book this is," she replied. "The Lord of the Rings. Which one?" She handed the book to her.

"The Return of the King. Have you-?"

"No, I haven't. I can't read." Harmony said, flatly. "Well, not the way you can."

"Why can't you-?" The girl looked Harmony in the eyes, noticing for the first time their milky texture. "Sorry. I didn't realise..." The girl trailed off.

"That I'm blind. It's alright, not many people do until they really meet me," She smiled and held out her hand, "I'm Harmony, by-the-way. Harmony Bradshaw."

"Oh, right," They shook hands, "Claire Jones." An awkward silence followed. "Do you know where we have to sign in?"

"My best guess is the entrance hall," Harmony replied, "That's probably half the reason everyone's headed towards it."

"Right," Claire said, smiling at the girl's sass. They grabbed their bags and started walking, Harmony siding her Cane to-and-fro across the pavement.

"So, what colour hair do you have? " Harmony asked. "You obviously know mine."

"It's bright red," Claire replied, "And I have green eyes."

"Cool. I haven't meet anyone with red hair before," Harmony heard something flying through the air, straight towards them. "Duck!" She pulled Claire into a squat. A tennis ball sailed through the air where Claire's head had been moments before.

"How...? How did you do that?!" Claire's eyes were wide with shock.

"I'll explain later," Harmony looked at her with unseeing eyes, "Let's get inside."

"Yeah... Let's do that..."