Through My Eyes

Chapter 7

"Can I have some more potatoes, please?" I ask as we sit around the table eating dinner.

"You still have more on your plate, dear. A little to the left", my mother says and I poke around till I get another spoonful.

"So you've got Monday off huh? President's Day", my dad says.

"Yep. Are we going to Rushmore?" I ask.

Our family has a tradition of going to Mount Rushmore, which was a few hours away from where we lived, every President's Day, mainly due to the fact that my dad is a History professor. I don't mind though. It's really pretty around and it was always a fun family outing for us.

"Well, I don't know if we should go this year...", my mother begins.

"Why not? I'm blind, not paralyzed. And I really want to get out of the house", I say.

"See Charlotte, I told you she'd want to go. You can't jail the kid up.", my dad says.

"Alright then. Why don't we invite Ross to come along?" she asks.

I chew my lip. Usually, Amber came with us since we had convinced her parents that the trip was fully educational, but after Tyler came into the picture, they both took turns coming alternate years. And now I had neither. I wish Mere could come but she had the flu.

"Do we have to invite him?" I ask. Not that I had anything against Ross. We did spend quite a bit of time together. I was just nervous of him being around my family.

"He's spent so much time helping you and you'll have a much better time if you bring along a friend", she tells me, as if I'm in kindergarten and I need a playmate. "I'll call Martha after dinner."

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Two days later, I'm sitting in the backseat of our car with Ross, my mom in the passenger seat and my dad driving. After my mom gushes to Ross about how delighted she was that he could accompany us, everyone falls silent. My eyes begin to droop sleepily, as they always do when I'm in the car and sleep deprived and I'm asleep within minutes.

When my eyes open again, my cheek is pressed against something hard. I use my hands to push myself up and realize I'm grabbing someone's shoulder. I gasp and jump to the side. 

I hear a booming laugh. "Addie, what did I tell you about falling asleep on guys?" my dad says suggestively and I feel my cheeks erupt in flames.

My mother hisses "Paul" but Ross just chuckles.

"Hop out everyone", my dad says and I climb out, only to have my mother immediately attach my hand to Ross's and grab my other one with her own, firmly. 

"I think we'll have lunch now and we can decide what we want to do after", my mom decides.

She drags me along at the pace of a snail until we step on grass. We walk a few more steps until my mom decides on the right spot. "Right here".

When we're done with the picnic, a mild argument breaks out. My dad wants to climb to the top of the observation tower to see the presidents. I want to stay where I am with Ross because there's no point in us climbing an observation tower when we can't observe. And my mom wants to go with my dad but doesn't want to leave us alone in case some abductors who kidnap blind teenagers come along and haul us away since we won't be able to defend our blind selves. Very high probability of that happening, according to my mother's calculations.

"You're being ridiculous, Charlotte", my dad sighs. "The area is completely safe and there are other people around."

"Plus I don't think a kidnapper would go for someone looking like a hobo", I add waving a hand at my sweatshirt and jeans.

Finally my mother lets my dad lead her away, reminding us to have our phones in our hand to call the police at any time.

I let out a sigh of relief after a minute or so. "My mother's a gem isn't she?" I ask Ross, who's maybe said four words all day.

He laughs. "It gets better over time. My mom wouldn't let me tie my own sneakers at first because she was afraid I might tie them too tight and lose blood circulation in my foot", he says, and for the first time this year, I let myself grin.

"My mom won't let me eat with forks because she thinks I might repeatedly stab myself in the heart and kill myself", I tell him.

"Yikes", he says. A few seconds pass by. "Have you?"

"Tried to stab myself with a fork? Not yet", I say, even though I know where this is going.

"No, I meant....never mind", he trails off.

There's an awkward silence.

"Have you?" I whisper.

"Tried to overdose myself with Tylenol a few days after I got out of the hospital but they ended up being breath mints. I had minty breath for a year after", he jokes. "I blame the drugs they gave me."

"I tried to slit my wrists with a knife, but it was a butter knife", I whisper. "It wasn't my fault. I never thought about doing anything to myself after that one time."

"Nah, everyone has that one time. It doesn't make you suicidal", he reassures me and I feel a heavy weight being lift off my shoulders.

Since we're already talking about sensitive stuff, I decide to ask him something else.

"Do you ever think you're going to end up alone in life?" I ask, hesitantly.

"Alone?"

"Yeah like never find someone and fall in love and get married and...you know. That stuff", I say, feeling stupid.

"I'm pretty sure girls worry about that kind of stuff a lot more than guys do", he says in a lighter tone.

"What makes you think that?" I ask with a huff.

"Because guys can win girls over with their charm. I don't need eyes, I just need my killer pick up lines and girls will be lining up around the block", he says cockily.

"Pick up lines?" I ask tiredly.

"Yep. Watch this." He clears his throat dramatically. "You know why I'm blind, darling? It's cuz you were so hot my retina couldn't handle you", he says in a deep voice.

I blink for a second. Then I burst out laughing. It feels rusty since I haven't used it in so long but it feels nice.

"My lenses turn dark in the sunshine of your love", he says and I laugh harder.

"I wish I were cross eyed so I could see you twice."

"Stop it, I'm dying", I chortle.

"I never need to see the sun again because your eyes light up my world."

"What's with all the eye jokes?" I ask, smiling.

"Would you prefer a non-eye one? Hey babe, are you a booger? Cuz I would pick you first."

And the day goes on with more cheesy pick up lines and mom bashing.

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