Blind To Your Love

Meeting The Town's New Freak

Max 🐾

I was already standing in line. Waiting to shake hands with the town's new freak. And guess what?

Melissa wasn't here. I looked for her when I got here, but she wasn't anywhere. I texted her to ask her what she was doing, and she said she was at the beach. I should've known. I'm so stupid!

I felt weird here. All these girls kept staring at me. There were a couple of guys, but they were too busy staring at the girls staring at me, for me to talk to them.

They asked us to shout a welcome when she entered the room, but I didn't. I just popped my head from behind the wall and didn't speak a word.

It was finally my turn to shake hands with Clifor. Clofer? Clover? It's Clover, right? I was going to go with Clover.

I walked up to her and shook her hand. When I touched her, I flinched. I felt strange, standing right in front of her. "Hi. Nice to meet you, or whatever." I couldn't lose my cool. I was letting her know that I wasn't interested. "I'm Max Roynail. I'll be helping you around I think." I think I did a pretty awesome job.

"Thank you? Are you okay, Max?"

Oh, so now she was questioning me. As if she cared! Classic playing dumb act. I was not going to let her get away with it.

"Yes. Why wouldn't I be?" I snapped. She back away from me, a step or two. She opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by Mrs. Florence.

She told me to keep my attitude to myself. Ugh! I just walked away and called my mom to come pick me up.

Lucky me, my mom can't come until 4. That's 2 whole hours. Clover already left with Katy. I sat on the benches near the exits and waited.

I end up talking to myself. I was furious. I couldn't believe I had done that. Everyone had already left. I was the only one there.

Then, things got worse. Clover and Katy came back, and they headed my way.

"Hey, Max!" Katy sprinted over to me.

"Hi, Katy. What you been up to all summer?"

"Oh, the usual. I have just been going to the pool and the beach, and camping."

"Cool." Ugh get away from me! Just leave me alone. I was careful that I didn't say anything like that out loud.

"So, have you met Clover, here?"

"Kinda. I didn't really talk much."

"Oh, well, good news. You get to talk now! I have to go. My parents are outside."

She hugged Clover and forced her down next to me on the bench. She walked away waving.

Clover stood up again, as soon as Katy was out of sight. I guess she felt uncomfortable. Maybe I scared her, I don't want her to think that. She could say bad things about me, and that could get to Melissa. I had to make her change her opinion about me.

"So, sorry about earlier. I guess I was just upset that uh.... That my parents coouuuldn't get me a- a um... That my parents couldn't get me theee donation cookies I asked for."

What the heck was that? I don't even know the name of a single charity. Donation cookies! Why am I so stupid. But, she doesn't know anything, maybe she'll think that it's not weird.

"Huh? Donation cookies? Oh, well, for what group?"

God freakin dammit. What group? Heck! If I knew the name of a group that needed donating I wouldn't have been stared at by all those girls earlier. But, I need to come up with something. Anything!

"Oh, theee uh.... Givers charity group." Givers charity group? Ugh, curse my small minded self.

"Givers? I never heard of it. Where is it organized?"

"Columbia? Yeah."

"Oh, now I remember. Yeah, the Givers, they have so many nice people. Who did you want to give the cookies to?"

This actually exists? Man, am I lucky, but I have no idea what people are there. "Yeah, I can't remember. So, you're coming to school? How come? And, why now?" I was hoping to subtly change the subject.

She pressed her lips together. "Well, my parents think it's time I left homeschool. This school is only a few blocks away, I just wish they didn't make such a big deal about it."

She didn't like the attention. She was uncomfortable when all of us showed up. "How come? Most people like when others go big for them."

"Yeah, well, I'm not like most people I'm sure you've noticed. I don't like when people go big for me and make a scene. If people just treated me like everyone else, I'd be happier."

For a moment, I was sad. Sad that somebody had to live like that, but my emotion was snapped out of me when I heard the honk of a horn.

It was her parents. I waved goodbye and turned back to the bench to find my mom smiling at me. "That girl was cute! Do you like her?"

"Mom, no. She's the reason I'm here. She's blind."

"Oh, glad I didn't come over when she was still here."

"You were listening?! Mom!"

"Okay, sorry, but you guys looked so cute."

We got in the car and my mom would not drop that fact that she liked that girl. I can't believe she likes her so much, when I showd her Melissa, the girl I actually like, she frowned and told me to not get envolved with her.

The thought of school starting soon, lingered in my head for the rest of the summer, finally the day came. 5:30. Wake up, take a shower, get dressed, breakfast, and out the door.

I barely caught the bus. I sat down in the second seat with a girl wearing earbuds. Her bag was taking up some space on the seat, making me uncomfortable.

"Hey, excuse me, could you move your bag? It's taking up space on the seat."

"Oh, sorry, I didn't realize."

That voice. I browsed my brain for that voice, remembering that I had heard it before.

"C-Clover? I thought you were going to walk."

She took off her headphones and turned to face me. "Oh, well, my parents decided otherwise. Nice to meet you again." She put her earbuds away. "So, how has your summer-" She began to say but then was interrupted by someone calling my name.

I heard my name in the seat behind me. "Max! I didn't know you were so friendly with the new girl," he teased. It was Jason, he's my best friend, interested in Daisy, one of Melissa's friends.

"I'm not! I just happened to sit here." I didn't dare look at Clover, even if she couldn't see me, I didn't want to.

"Why don't you come back here with me then."

"I will." I got up and went to sit at his side.

I felt bad for leaving Clover there alone, but I just wanted to sit with my friend. Like a normal kid.