Snapshot » l.t.

Chapter 9

Chapter 9


Renee's POV


I rushed down the hall, going wherever my legs carried me. Preferably out the hospital doors.

I didn't want to see Louis ever again! My head was a turmoil of emotions: grief, anger, and sadness took over my body. I just wanted to run away from my problems. But I couldn't because my vision went wherever I went.

I stormed past the waiting room and the front desk, not caring that I would possibly have to sign out in order to leave. That idiot and his ape Paul could do it for me.

I paused out on the sidewalk. With my vision all fifty shades of gray, I couldn't tell where I was. I felt lost.

I gritted my teeth and shuffled my feet into the ground. I could just ask for directions or something. I had to get back to the studio so I could get my car and drive home.

I turned right and spotted a convenience store ahead. I quickened my pace and went inside. I came out with a map, a donut, and a coffee. Hey, it was after one in the afternoon. I was hungry.

I pulled a pen out of my pocket miraculously and drew a line through the streets I needed to walk by in order to get back to familiar territory. I spotted a shortcut through an alleyway, and I redrew a line through there.

See, I didn't need color. I was doing fine on my own without them.

Tears filled my eyes again. Oh gosh, I sounded insane. I had to get a grip. I could mourn later in my flat.

I spun in the right direction, my eyes glued to the map, and I began to stomp away. I crossed the street a few times, and of course I made sure no cars were driving by before crossing.

I would look up a few times, but still nothing seemed familiar. I felt like I was trapped in a horrible black-and-white movie, and there was no way for me to get out.

Soon enough, I found the alleyway shortcut. I looked up from my map and gulped. It probably would've looked friendly in the sunshine and color, but the buildings looming over it made the shadows black and harder for me to see.

I gritted my teeth. Suck it up! I yelled at myself. It's just a stupid alleyway.

But I had just taken the first step in when I remembered I was afraid of the dark.

I rolled my eyes. Oh, grow up a little, I berated myself as I carefully edged forward. You're twenty-one, not five. You can beat this. Remember what Kelly Clarkson once sang?

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger," I whispered to myself. I felt comfort in hearing my voice, so I sang softly to myself. Suddenly the darkness didn't seem so bad. I was conquering my fears!

But I still couldn't see anything, and soon I had accidentally barged into a garbage can. I gasped--breaking off the chorus--at the loud sound it made, but nothing happened. I let out a small sigh of relief.

But then I swear I heard voices. Multiples of them, whispering and muttering to each other. I whimpered and pressed myself to the wall, trying to hide. I had forgotten that it wasn't really dark out for most people.

"Who do we have here?" someone murmured, and I squeaked in surprise and terror. Small beads of gray appeared in front of me, and I watched as they would sometimes brighten to white. Smoky gray would exit out of dark figures. I realized that there must be smokers in front of me.

"She's pretty," another voice said, and as he leaned forward, I could smell the tobacco on his breath. I buried my face in my jacket sleeve.

"Come on out," a third cooed, and tugged on my arm. I swatted him away with my other one. I started to tremble.

Just leave me alone, I thought. What bad did I ever do to you?! But they wouldn't go away.

One of them began to stroke my hair, and I sunk down to the ground till I was on my bum. The trauma of my colorless eyes and the thought of possible rape was starting to get to me. My shoulders shook as I began to cry.

"Get up," one of them scowled (I think it was the first) and he wrenched on my arm, hauling me up. I cried harder.

"Dude, she's crying," the second one said, a little nervously. "Just leave her alone."

"Shut up, Mark," the first snapped. "We only want to have a little fun." I hoped Mark--whoever he was--would help me, but he stayed silent. My hope died.

"Have you ever tried pot before?" the third asked. I shook my head, shutting my eyes tight. Tears still streamed from them.

"Why not?"

Another shake.

"Is she dumb or something? Why isn't she talking?"

The first one shook me, and I squeaked again. I thought he was going to hit me, but he didn't.

"Seriously, guys, just stop," Mark said. Suddenly the pressure on my arm was lifted, and I cracked my eyes open. A smaller figure than the rest was standing in front of me, blocking two others.

"Fine then," the leader said coolly. "Have it your way." They stalked off.

Mark turned to me. "Are you okay?" he asked me. I shook my head and hiccuped. I buried my face in my hands again.

"It's alright. You can trust me. I won't hurt you."

That didn't make me look up, but I relaxed slightly.

"Are you mute?"

I shook my head.

"Then why don't you talk?"

"I...." I started to whisper. "I just didn't want to talk to them." I looked up slightly and saw Mark smiling slightly. "Come on," he said. "Let's get you home. Do you have a car or something?"

I nodded. "It's back at Teen Tiger studio," I said.

He stared at me. "Wow, you work there?" he exclaimed. "You must be super rich!" I blushed and looked down again. Not really....

I suddenly stiffened up. What if he held me for ransom? No one would come for me! I lived alone, and my parents wouldn't know where to find me.

But Mark just motioned for me to follow him, so I did, but at a distance. I still didn't completely trust him.

"Here you are," he said, gesturing to a brighter shade of gray. I saw the street, the white blob that was the sun, the Teen Tiger studio, and the parking garage. I started to smile in relief.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"You're welcome," Mark replied with a small grin. "See you around." And with that he disappeared back into the alley.

I waited until I was allowed to cross before running across the street and into Teen Tiger's lobby. I didn't stop as I raced through the hallways to get to the cover room. I was starting to choke up again. I really needed some friendship support.

But when I entered the cover room, no one was in there. I frowned. Where could they be?

But then I realized that Paul and his idiot must have alerted my boss that one of their photographers was in the hospital. Namely, me. I figured that must mean my friends and Leeann were in Leeann's office. I spun around, and ran in that direction.

I knocked on the door respectively first. But then I paused. I didn't want Leeann to know just yet that I was color-blind. What if she fired me? My heart pounded in my chest. But I couldn't lie and tell them that it was nothing. What should I tell them?

But, surprisingly, Leo answered the door. "Renee!" he shouted, and engulfed me in a hug. I hugged him back.

"Did you say Renee?" a girly voice shrieked, and then Elise was on top of me. For a while, we just stood there hugging, and I had to swallow back my tears.

"Okay, that's enough," Leo said, pulling away and detaching Elise from me. "Renee, what happened?"

I rubbed my eyes. "There-there was an accident--" I started to stammer, but cut myself off.

I looked around. "Where's Leeann?" I asked.

"She actually just ran to the hospital to check on you," Elise said. "She just missed you! But who cares about that, tell us what happened!"

I sat down on one of Leeann's hard couches, and my friends sat down on either side of me. "I'm just going to be blunt here," I said quietly. "I'm now color-blind."

They stared at me. "You're joking?!" Elise squeaked, and her own tears brimmed in her eyes. I shook my head, and then I started to cry, AGAIN. When would I run out of tears?

Elise hugged me, and for a moment we both just sat there crying. Leo didn't say anything. Instead, he got up and walked over to the wall, his back to us.

"You know what this means, right?" he murmured.

"What?" Elise and I asked at the same time. He turned back to us, and I began to mourn my loss again. I couldn't see his beautifulness anymore. It was all dulled by the stupid color gray.

"You know what's really essential about photography?" Leo asked, stalling. "Particularly, this kind?" I frowned and shook my head slightly, confused. "Color," he said sadly. "The whole necessity of the magazine is not just the gossip, but also the color. No one wants to read a black-and-white magazine."

My heart froze. "What are you getting at here?" Elise demanded.

Leo still looked grieved when he said, "I don't think Renee will be able to work for Teen Tiger anymore."

I knuckled my eyes at the horrible realization. I'll have to get fired! I began to sob again.

"How could you say that?" Elise gasped, putting a reassuring arm around my shoulders. "Renee can still work here! Who cares if she's color-blind?"

"Leeann would!" Leo shot back. "If she knew, that is."

My head shot up, and I looked at him pleadingly. "Please don't tell her, Leo!" I cried. "I can still work here! I promise you I can!"

But Leo looked doubtful. "I can't lie to her, Renee," he said darkly.

"Please, Leo!" I begged. I stood up and walked over to him. "I thought you were my friend!"

He regarded me sadly. "You know," he murmured, low enough for only us to hear. "I used to really like you. I thought we really had a shot. But I just can't date someone who has a disability."

My blood boiled. My heart stiffened. A disability? He thought I had a disability? What the hell! This wasn't a disability, it's just....

I couldn't think of a better name for it. It was a disability. I was disabled. I was color-blind. I blinked tears from my eyes.

And Leo used to like me?! Did this mean he didn't anymore? I bit my lip. "I can't believe you," I hissed, then stormed out of there.

The man of my dreams rejected me just because I had a "disability"! Could this day get any worse?!

As I ran down the hall, I heard Elise shouting at Leo asking what he had done to me, but he refused to answer.

What if he pulled Elise over to his side? What if she didn't like me anymore because of my new "disability"? Why were people so cruel?

I somehow managed to make my way to the parking garage and get in my car. I turned the keys in the ignition and pulled out. I suddenly realized something. I couldn't see the colors red, yellow, and green! How was I supposed to drive? I guess I'd just have to be extra careful, then.

I got on the street and saw a light ahead. I stopped behind another car waiting for it. When the car began to move forward, so did I. Huh, I thought. This was easy enough. I just had to follow the car in front of me. No biggie.

It went on like this for a while, until the last couple of lights. The car in front of me turned, leaving me to decide when I should go.

The light changed. I hesitated. Was it yellow or green? It couldn't be red, because it was just on red. Wait. Then that must mean it's--

About a dozen horns suddenly chorused, and I jumped in surprise. They were all coming from behind me. I stomped on the gas, and I sped forward. My heart thudded in my chest. This was going to take some getting used to.

I finally arrived at my flat safe and sound. I used the elevator to get to my room. I ran down the hall and barged into my flat's living room. I threw off my shoes and jacket, and my keys on the coffee table.

I rushed to my room, where I collapsed on my bed and cried, cried, cried.

Louis Tomlinson made me color-blind. I nearly got lost. Three men almost made me smoke pot. My friends rejected me. I might get fired from Teen Tiger. And to top it all off, I could no longer drive without getting honked at.

Could my life get any worse?