Open My Eyes

Five: Make It Up to Me

            Taylor and I headed back downstairs from lunch, my mind still hooked on Zilch. He may have been dramatic in the beginning, but as soon as he dropped the act, he was actually quite nice. And he was attractive.

         Nobody had made me feel that beautiful in a long time, not since Hank. It felt nice to be treated like a princess every once in a while, and Zilch had certainly made me feel like a gorgeous one.

         "And he didn't hassle you?" Taylor insisted, another harassment question about Zilch. It was getting tiring.

         "No!" I assured her, exasperated, as I threw my hands in the air. "He was a gentleman, I swear. A bit dramatic at first, but otherwise he was fine." A small, embarrassed smile tugged at my lips. "In fact, he made me feel beautiful."

         She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye, eyebrow raised. "That's odd. Normally he makes people feel like there's an annoying thorn in their side that doesn't shut up."

         Shrugging, I jested, "Maybe he likes me." I chuckled at my own joke.

         "Maybe," she conceded, more seriously than I had. "It's the only thing that makes sense."

         I fell silent, a bit stunned she had come right out and said it. I wasn't particularly used to men liking me, except for the occasional flirtatious conversation while waiting in line at Paulo's or some other popular hangout.

         She noticed my silence, and decided to change the subject, for which I was thankful. She asked, "So where are you going to school?"

         "Oh, the community college," I answered hurriedly, ready for the new topic.

         "I remember you talking to Matt about that. So what courses are you taking there?" she inquired, studying her fingers briefly before looking at me once more.

         My eyes fell to the ground, watching my feet. I kicked absently at the floor as I told her, "The usual classes, of course: English, math, science. I'm taking some specialized classes for nursing, along with my online classes."

         She stared at the floor as well, a small smile brushing her lips. "You know ASL, right?" She had looked at my papers before, so I found it odd she wanted clarification.

         I nodded.

         We stopped walking so she could look at me front-on and she grinned broadly. She offered in contained excitement, "How would you like to assist our ASL teacher? You could help her for the first half of the day and then after lunch you could do other jobs around the place."

         Clapping, I hopped a few times and laughed in unsuppressed glee. "Oh my gosh, that sounds amazing! I'd love to do that!"

         She laughed at my antics, shaking her head. "I figured something like this would be your response. You'll start tomorrow. Of course, the teacher will have to make sure you know what you're doing, so essentially you'll have to take a test. If you pass, you'll be on a probationary period, but just for a little bit."

         "Wow," I remarked, wide-eyed, "that's a lot of . . . pressure."

         With a shrug, she explained, "Mrs. Gibbens is a bit strict, but she just wants the best for the kids. If she has a confusing aide, it'll confuse the kids and she doesn't want that."

         "That makes perfect sense."

         Taylor flashed me a smile, and I was reminded how beautiful she was. "I'll let her know of your decision. She'll really appreciate the help."