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Chapter 3

Penelope

      I can feel Barry's stare. I don't know what stare it is, but it's got me fidgeting. "You're... blind..." He says. I nod once. I could hear something move and fumble to grab something.

      "Barry? Are you okay?" I ask worriedly. There was silence for a second.

       "You're blind?" I hear him whisper.

        "Yes... I'm sorry you didn't hear." I tell him.

       "H-how?" He demands, but not angrily, he sounds like he's more concerned than anything.

      "Well, after the last concert I played, my mom and dad were driving me home. But uh..." I can feel tears collecting in my eyes. "They never made it home... We got into a car accident." I say slowly. "The car flipped, killing my parents... and putting me in a coma for six months." I say, feeling the hot tears rolling sown my face now. " When I woke up, I couldn't see anything. The crash caused retinal detachment, making me blind for the rest of my life." I explain to Barry. I can hear heavy breathing moving faster, and faster. 

        "This... This can't be happening... Why didn't I see you at school anymore?" He questions.

      "Barry, I had to learn how to read blind, how to write blind! How to move without crashing into anything, how to even dress into matching clothing, and tying shoes, and doing my hair, my makeup. I can't even see to know if I did a good job!" I had to learn how to do almost everything all over again!" I say exasperatedly. "I couldn't go to public school, because I had to learn things all over again in a different way."

       "Why? Why you?" He asks.

       "I... I don't know. I mean maybe this is a good thing." I say. I bow my head down.

        "How can you be saying that?! This isn't good in any way!" He says.

        "You don't know that, Barry. And you have no idea how difficult it is. Try going through your whole day with your eyes closed, because I can tell you for sure that you would have a hard time. I have to go through that everyday!" I say. I realize how I was talking.    "Sorry, Barry. I was trying to be calm, but that didn't really happen did it? I guess I'm not quite adjusted to being this way, the way I thought I was." I say, quietly. I sigh with frustration of myself.

         "Penelope. A-are you okay? I mean, you were the best teenage pianist I had ever met, and now you can't even do twinkle little star without messing up. And you can't read the notes when you just need to look up to help perfect yourself... And your parents. Oh gosh, I can't believe this." He says, with worry in his voice.

         "Barry, I'm sorry, but I'm just learning the piano again to help myself and for fun. I don't think I'm ever going to do a competition again. I mean, I'm blind, Barry." I tell Him. "How am I supposed to walk to the piano in the competition so I can actually play it?How am I supposed to walk back? How am I supposed to learn how to play the song well before the competition, and memorize it? I have a handicap now, Barry. One that will make it so difficult that I don't want it." I continue. He's silent for a couple of minutes, and I hesitate to say something.

         Then Barry said, "You know, I used to think of you as someone who can do anything. Someone who can break through any barrier, when playing the piano. Now... Now I realize, I was wrong. You were, my biggest competition. I thought that you were going to continue in competitions. And I just thought that you were even more unbeatable, because of your bravery to go up there, when you're blind. When you have the biggest chance of failing, and still going up there. I thought that you were more amazing than ever." He tells me. I look up at him in surprise. "Now... Now, I wish that you would be my competition." Barry says, a little harsher. I hear steps coming closer, but they're slow.

          "Why?" I ask quietly. I hear small laugh.

        "You know, I don't really know either. Isn't it strange? You are my only possible competition in my mind. And then when you aren't competing, instead of being relieved, I want you to compete." He says. He chuckles. I really have no idea what is going on. Why is Barry acting like this. 

          "Barry... Are you okay?" I ask, nervously. Barry when we were younger, had a short fuse, and I wasn't sure if that was still the case, and his fuse was being burned.

        "Yeah... I just really want you to compete." He says. I was getting pretty nervous. What is Barry going to do if I don't compete? Will he blow up in anger? Crap, what do I do! If I say I will, then I guess I'll be braver than ever, but how will I do it? How the heck? Oh gosh! What should I do! I think. Then Barry takes in a breath like he's going to say something.

         "Okay! I'll compete!" I say, hurriedly. 

         "Wait, really?" He asks. 

          "Yeah... I guess. But I have to get more practice. So I'll compete later in the year. I just started to relearn last week." I say. There was silence, but a sort of rhythmic muffling sound. "If you're nodding I can't see you, remember?" I ask, with a sigh.

        "Oh, right." He says shyly. "Well that's fine with me." He tells me. "Well, I have to go help my aunt, so I'll see you later." He says enthusiastically. I can't figure out why he's acting this way. I mean he was never really like this. Then as I heard his footsteps leave the room, the last thing I thought with him in the room was, well crap.