Little Mix One Shots

Leaves (Jaded)

"Students we have a new member of our class joining today. He's called Jed and he'll be sitting on red table." The teacher told us, as the boy stood next to her. He had a stick and sunglasses on. "Can we give him a warm welcome as he takes his seat?" She asked. We all clapped him as he sat down opposite me.

"I like your stripey stick!" I told him, once we were doing pair work.

"Thanks I have it because I'm blind." He replied, feeling the page the teacher had put in front of him.

"Cool!" I said, not knowing what that was.

He smiled and we both set to work, me doing my writing him feeling his bumpy page.

Home time
"Hi angel, how was school?" Mam asked, as I ran up to her.

"So good, there's a new student." I explained, holding her hand as we walked out of the school.

"Ah I see, and what are they called?" Mammy continued, as we crossed with the crossing lady.

"Jed, he just moved" I told her, pulling my hood up as it started to rain.
Mam and I ran the whole way home from then on.

Later on still
"Hey mammy?" I enquired, shuffling myself onto the kitchen table seat, watching her chop some peppers for dinner.

"Yes squiggle?" She said, not looking at me.

"What is bilnd?" I asked, taking a drink of juice after.

"What's what Bubs?" She was now looking at me, over the rim of her thick glasses that matched mine.

"Bilnd, Jed said he was bilnd, at least that's what I think he said. It was whilst we were doing pair work, after I told him I liked his stripey stick." I explained, pushing my glasses up slightly.

"Oh do you mean blind poppet?" Man chuckled.

"Oh er yep I think so" I nodded turning my head slightly to the side trying to remember if this is what Jed was talking about.

"Right, someone who is blind can't see very well. Not like me and you can't see but like can't really see anything. The chances are Jed hasn't ever seen the sky or flowers or leaves." Mam explained to me, she had completely stopped chopping now.

"Really?" I asked shocked, I couldn't believe it, Jed couldn't see.

"Yep, that stick you were talking about is called a cane it helps him move around without bumping into things." I was in awe as Mam spoke, I was really shocked.

"Wow! That's pretty cool, is that why he had funny paper he was touching? Or why he had sunglasses on in doors?" I spewed out, totally intrigued by my new findings.

"Yep, the bumpy paper is called Braille, he reads it with his fingers rather than using his eyes. And the sunglasses were probably to protect his eyes from bright light." Mammy continued, turning back to the chopping board.

"That's pretty neat, do you reckon he'll mind if I ask him about it tomorrow?" I said, drinking my juice again after.

"Probably not chuck, as long as you approach it nicely and don't push if he doesn't want to talk." She explained, turning the stove on.

"Oh okay" I said jumping off the chair, running to my room.

Next day
"Jed" I shouted, running after him, once Dad had dropped me off.

"Who is it?" Jed asked, stopping once I'd caught up to him, which wasn't hard because I was super fast.

"Jade" I rushed out before continuing, "I asked my Mam what blind meant and she told me and I have some questions if you don't mind me asking"

"No it's fine, I'm used to it" Jed said, as we began walking again, his cane moving left to right in front of us.

"Cool, so my mam said you read bail, how because it looked like loads of dots not letters?" I asked, watching as he navigated up a step.

"Its called Braille and I read it the opposite to you from this side to this side" he gestured going from his right to left, "and it's dots instead of letters so it fits better on the page. I'll teach you one day if you like."

"Yes pwease Jeddy" I lisped, mesmerized as Jed stepped up the step towards the classroom with ease.

"Have you ever been able to see?" I asked, my hand accidentally brushing his.

"Nope, I've never been able to see, I was born blind" he told me, shaking his head.

"Really? So you've never seen a leaf?" I said holding the door open for him.

"No" Jed said sadly, "but it's okay because I can still hear beautiful things like your voice or birds and I've held a leaf before" he said shrugging making the heat rise to my cheeks.

Lunch time
"Lunch on the field today guys, so grab you lunches and find a spot on the grass" our teacher instructed, making us all cheer.

"Do you need help to carry your lunch Jed?" I offered, after I had grabbed my lunch box.

"No I think I've got it thanks Jade, can I eat next to you?" He asked me, as we started to walk to the door.

"Of course Jeddy, I'll pick the best spot, maybe I can describe the leaves to you." I suggested, as we walked out sides brushing in the bustling corridor.

"That would be amazing!" Jed said excited.

We stayed silent as we walked, well until I tripped over a bigger kid's foot.
"Careful Jadey" Jed had said, wrapping his arm around me, his lunch box hitting my side slightly.

"Sorry Jed," I said, righting myself.

"Here hold my hand then we can keep each other up" Jed offered, holding his hand out.

"But your lunch box" I said, as people rushed passed us.

"Hold onto my hand, with my lunch box in it" he explained. I did as he said and we were soon walking onto the field. I lead him to the corner and sat us down.

"Lets eat and then you can describe them" Jed suggested, zipping his star wars lunch box open to reveal a very organised selection of food. "Jade, could you tell me what food is where, guide my hands if you want?" He asked.

"Okay," I said, before grabbing his hand and hiding it to where his sandwich was, "your sandwich is here, it's cheese by the looks of it." I then moved his hand to his crisps, "these are quavers" I explained, "and this is Apple juice and next to it is a box or raisens" I continued moving his hand round until I had explained it all.

"Thanks Jade" he thanked, moving his hand back to his sandwich, as I did the same.

Once we were finished eating we laid back, his hand going back into mine, as I began to explain the leaves in the trees. "Trees are beautiful, they have really tall trunks that are brown and rough. They nearly reach the sky. At the top of the trunk there are branches that get skinnier as you go across and that's where the leaves live. They're all different sizes, the ones on the tree above us are round on the side and pointy on the top. They're green and there's millions of them. That's what a tree is like." I finished, turning to see Jed with his eyes closed.

"Thanks Jade, can you explain what clouds look like?" He asked.

And that was the beginning of the never ending love of Jade Thirlwall and Jed Elliot proving the world can be a beautiful place even if you can't see it.