Shadows (Completed-Under Revision)

Stranger Things

Author's Note: This is Anthony's voice, but Danica is commenting on it in the parentheses because she can't stop thinking or talking, literally.

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Anthony:

There are stranger things than a new girl walking into your high school unannounced.

Being born blind is one example as most of the population do not suffer an abnormality in which all they see is wisps in black and white. However, the day I met Danica was certainly the first day in which I thought a girl actually liked me...for me.

No pretenses or fake behavior. It was if the world had never touched her and her voice was angelic to say the least. I first met her in class and to put it nicely, she had a vibrant personality that resonated in my ears. If I were to say that she talked loud...it would be an underestimate of the power of her voice. It was as if no one had ever heard her before. Where had this girl come from? Had she been ignored her whole life?

(I was ignored my whole life. That indeed is a fact. -Danica)

It was actually in history class that I first heard her voice.

"Excuse me, is this Room 113?" she whispered.

The teacher yelled out "What!" so she cascaded "I am in the right room, sir." to his and everyone's ears. I sat there surprised as I had never heard anyone who when they spoke sang and when she was given permission to take her seat, her footsteps were like tinkling bells.

(We get it. I sound like bells-Danica)

Finally, she took her seat gracefully and smiled at the teacher with a twinkle in her eye.

(I was so nervous back then-Danica)

Then, the teacher remembered that we were in the middle of a history lesson and continued on without calling on her to introduce herself to the class. Thus, I did not get a name from her at that time.

Finally, the bell started ringing and above the shouts of the boys who wished to get out of here early, I heard a very nervous sound of a girl trying to ask the teacher about how the class would work and things like that. At that point, the teacher called me out and asked me to explain the coursework/syllabus to this new girl as he had a staff meeting to go to now and I was the top student in the class. Everyone always assumed just because I was blind that I could not read like normal so they assumed I would not be a good student. However, that did not mean that I could not read Braille or hear/listen to audiotapes.

So, I strode up to her with a bounce in my step and introduced myself. Usually, by this point, someone would point out my ridiculous sunglasses inside, but she did not. Instead, she greeted me as if I was an old friend and began questioning me on the various subject material we had studied so far as she came in with a few weeks already into the course. After I answered several questions, she asked me if I could escort her to her other classes as she had never been to this school before.

(Oh my god, a hot guy is actually talking to me. Ooh, he is so dark and handsome...-Danica)

As she had been so courteous, I agreed. It was in my upbringing to always be a gentleman even to those who did not deserve it. Speaking of those who did not deserve it, as I opened the door and set off in the hallway, I heard them making a raucous and heard their girlfriend's squeals of laughter. It was the athletic types with nothing better to do than cause chaos and commotion in the lunchrooms as well as in the hallways.

Unfortunately, one of them, I believe Jake, his tennis shoes always squeak the loudest.

"Hey, blind bat, wanna catch my ball? Here, catch!" he taunted me as I dodged the ball expertly tossed at me and then caught it before it hit the floor.

(Wait, he's blind? I did not know that-Danica)

The girl, however, decided to defend me and spoke rapid spitfire at the so-called 'jocks'.

"Who do you think you are, huh? That you can just hit a guy with a ball! What would all of you say if I tell the principal that you are harassing a disabled guy right now? I bet for half of you, it would be suspension or worse."

Wow. She just impressed...wait, did she call me unable?

(I cannot believe I just did that. I really want to get jumped on in the first day, huh?-Danica)

"Girl, don't get into our business. The blind bat just needs to learn some manners. That's all." The one who quipped this was another guy, Amir, I think. He was a transfer this year from Europe.

He was as mean as the rest of them. Worse, in fact, he would always seem to back up their mean comments and until this year, I had no problem with these buffoons. He instigated them. In fact, he was their De-facto leader and his parents had pockets of money as well as lawyers which made him very dangerous to mess with.

(Oh, look a very attractive meanie...let me teach him a lesson.-Danica)

"He may be blind, but he is not a bat. He is a human. And if he is a bat, then he would be a baseball bat that can take that ball in his hand and hit it back at all of you!" she huffed after she finished her comment and then said with gusto, "What I meant by that was that for all the three fingers you point at him today, you all point two fingers back at yourself and show how in need of attention you are that it is on the point of being pathetic."

I worried for her in that moment, but something rare happened. The group stopped talking and Amir took charge after she had finished. He started showing his true stripes.

"You are right, miss. We are truly sorry for our mistake and for calling him demeaning names. We will..." "Amir", someone in his group interrupted, but they were promptly ignored. "...never mess with Anthony again. You have my word."

After that, he left and I let the sigh of relief I had been holding go.

(I'm still angry at what happened, but is it weird the main thought I have in my head is of Anthony's good looks?-Danica)

I turned my body to where I believed she was positioned in the hallway and told her to remember that we still had to go to class.

In that moment, I started to believe in love at first sight, except for me, it was love at first sound.

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Author's Note: This song reminded me so much of their relationship and the fact that she is a princess doesn't hurt...