Through My Eyes

Chapter 9

I pull one ear phone out of my ear to eavesdrop on my mom's conversation as worry etches her features. It was a Tuesday but we were on Spring Break so I was back to doing nothing. I could study but my overall percentage from the past few years was high enough to let me scoot by, even if I didn't try to hard on this blind learning thing. In a few months, nobody would care if I could integrate a quadratic equation in my head or not. I wasn't too sure about what I was going to do for college yet. There were a few blind colleges across the country so most likely I'd be shipped off to one of those with my mom attached to my hip. How could she let her poor baby go to college alone.

"Of course. I'll be there right away. Yes, see you", my mom says, sounding flustered.

"What's wrong?"I ask.

"Your Aunt May fell down the stairs and has a fractured hip. She's had surgery and she's in the hospital", she replies.

"Oh that sucks", I offer.

"Mmm. I need to go see her but your dad has an important meeting today so I can't ask him to come home and -"

"Wait, you won't leave me home alone?" I ask, offended. "I'll be eighteen in two months!"

"I know that, dear. It's just...", she trails off and I know she's thinking about the butter knife.

"Mom. That's not going to happen again. I'm perfectly fine. I have an English paper to write anyways so I'll just be in my room all day", I say firmly.

It takes a few more rounds of convincing before she finally relents, as long as I answer her check-in calls. She also tells me to call Ross's mother if there's an emergency. As if there's any chance of me doing that.

After she leaves, I go upstairs to do my promised paper. I find some paper and a pen easily, thanks to my mom's organizing skills.

Themes in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, I scrawl across the top margin. And then the date. March 7th.

You know that weird feeling you get when you're looking at a date and it looks so familiar that it makes you rack your brain thinking about why it's important? March 7th. Why special about March 7th?, my brain screams.

Oh. No.

The answer hits me like a cartload of bricks and I stop breathing.

How could I forget? Amber's 18th birthday.

The shock is washed over by a wave of guilt. This is how I honor the birthday of my lost friend? By forgetting about it till 3 in the afternoon? Hatred pools up in my blood and I know I have to calm myself down before I lose myself.

"We should go to Vegas for my 18th birthday", Amber tells me as she spins around on my spinny chair.

I look up from my phone. "Your 17th birthday was yesterday", I remind her.

"I know. But we should do something legendary for my 18th instead of going to church and a french restaurant like my parents always make me do. We should go to church in Vegas", she deduces.

I burst out laughing. "Only you would go all the way to Vegas to go to a church."

She stops spinning and glares at me with her amber flecked brown eyes. "Hey, I didn't say go to only church", Amber says defensively. "We should go to church to get some holy points and then blow those holy points by going to a Casino and drinking beer or something."

This time I laugh so hard I have to hold my stomach so I don't double over.

"Beer?"