Open My Eyes

One: The Blind Hottie

a/n: heads-up! you are about to read the ORIGINAL version of 'Open My Eyes.' you are more than welcomed to read this version, as it is complete. however, there is a rewrite available that is also now complete. you can read the rewrite by swiping to the left ⇠ on mobile. 

before i go, i love you all! thank you so much for the outpouring of support for this story that encouraged me to rewrite it in the first place. you're all just so amazing. i am humbled and honored every day~ 

madison :3

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

Ten Years Ago

        Crying, I heaved myself off the ground, resting on my knees. I stayed there, brushing my tears away pitifully. I shook a rock that had lodged itself into my palm from my hand. Through my blurry vision, I saw two feet rested on ledges and silver wheels approach me. I glanced up to see a young girl with pretty features sitting in a wheelchair.

          She leaned forward with a smile, offering her hand to me. "Here, let me help you up."

          Eyes wide, I took her outstretched hand and she pulled me to my feet. I had forgotten about my fall, completely mystified by the girl in the wheelchair before me. I had never seen one in real life before, especially one at a park, and certainly not at the adjoining basketball court.

          "That was a nasty spill you had," she commented, the sweet smile still on her face. "Are you gonna be okay?"

          I nodded slowly, absorbed in the strange contraption and the girl that sat cheerfully in it. Without thinking, I blurted, "You're in a wheelchair."

          When she chuckled, her eyes crinkled and sparkled. She was awfully pretty to my child eyes.

          My face heated up and I looked at the black asphalt under my feet. "I'm sorry. I don't want to be mean."

          She shook her head, her smile constant. "There's no need to say sorry. You were simply stating what you saw. There's nothing wrong with that," she assured me empathetically.

          Hesitantly, I reached out to touch the wheel. She simply watched me with glittering eyes, allowing me to study her wheelchair. After a brief silence, I failed to think before speaking again and asked, "Is it hard? I mean, do you wish you had legs?"

          The kind stranger rolled over to a bench and patted it. Once I hopped onto it, I looked at her expectantly. She gazed at the basketball court, smiling into the sun.

            "There are times I wish I could walk, when I could be just like everyone else. It was really hard when I was little," she confessed. "But as I grew up-I'm only seventeen so I'm still growing-I realized there were things I could do that no one else could do. And I also realized I could do most of the things everyone else could. Sure, I may sit all day, but I put fancy dos in my hair and attend high school dances. I'm just like you when it comes down to it."

          I stared at her shining face, already idolizing her. This strange girl was forced to sit in a wheelchair her whole life, and yet she still smiled. She was the happiest girl I'd ever met, glowing with an optimism I was unwittingly jealous of. She was utterly amazing.

          She looked at me out of the corner of her eye, a hint of pride in her gaze. With a smirk, she queried, "Wanna know something awesome?"

          A smile appeared on my face, excitement highlighting my features. Sliding nearer, I asked, "What?"

          She leaned closer to me and answered in a whisper, "I play basketball."