Through My Eyes

Chapter 6

I swallow my spoonful of egg salad and rack my brains trying to remember what Cami had just asked me.

"Yes?" I guess my answer. We were at our picnic table eating lunch and I had been too focused on eating salad with a spoon, since my mom wouldn't let me eat with forks anymore. It was 'hazardous to my health'.

Cami lets out a dramatic huff. "Addie, did you even listen to a single word I said?"

"Would you be offended if I said no? In which case, yes", I say. "Sorry, I space out from time to time."

Cami sighs. "Ross and Jackson just asked us if we wanted to go out to a movie on Saturday and I asked you if you were up to it", she says slowly, as if she's trying to teach a four-year old that 1+1 did in fact not equal 11.

I blink, surprised. This was the first time anyone invited me out. After the whole blind thing obviously.

"I don't know", I reply. "Which movie would we be seeing?"

"Whichever one there is that has audio-aid. There's usually not that many to choose from", Cami replies.

"I guess", I say, apprehensively. Better than having nothing to do, even though I wasn't fully confident in public yet.

"Great. Ross will pick you up at 2", she says, excitedly.

"Wait, you guys already planned this?" I ask.

"Sure. We pick a random Saturday of the month to go out. It used to be just Ross, Jack and I, but now we have testosterone and estrogen equality", she pipes, happily.

"What about Pamela?" I ask.

"Oh she never talks to us", Cam says. "That's okay. We'll have the time of our life, you'll see."

Somehow, these words echo in my head, giving me a sense of deja'vu to what I told Amber that night.

"I can't wait", I mumble.

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Promptly at 2pm the following Saturday, I stand on my porch in a sweater dress outfit. My mom had been overjoyed to find out I was going out so had taken the liberty in picking out a gray sweater dress, aztec print leggings and fuzzy boots instead of my usual jeans, t-shirt and hoodie, despite my protests of everyone being blind. She had also given me a hundred dollars cash, even though I told her all we would do was watch a movie and maybe buy something to eat.

I hear a car roll up to our driveway and Cami's voice call out "Hey Addie, hop in!"

My mother appears behind me.

"Who's driving the car?" she asks me.

I shrug because I have no idea.

My mom walks up to the car, towing me along. I hear somebody get out.

"Hello Mrs. Porter. This is my brother Nate. He'll be driving us to the mall and come pick us back up when we're done", Ross says.

"Call me Charlotte", my mother reminds him. "How old are you, Nate?"

I groan. Here starts the questionnaire.

"20. I go to the community college", another deep voice answers.

"Don't worry Mrs.Po-Charlotte, Nate's responsible. He follows me around all the time", Ross assures my mother.

"Alright", says my mom reluctantly. "Have her home by eight." I open my mouth to tell her we wouldn't spend six hours in the mall when she cuts me off. "You need to call me every half hour. If you don't call, I'll come over there to make sure you're safe."