EmPATHETICally Blind (A skinny love story)

Chapter 19: Cut off

       Matt's POV:

I couldn't fall asleep as easily as she could. I mean, how could I? She had horrible scars all over her stomach and thighs. Maybe she was in some freak accident or something. Maybe it was from something dumb and she was just too embarrassed to tell the story. Maybe she had a late cat that scratched her up. 

Anything instead of the horrible reason that was probably true. I knew about self-harm. It's not exactly an unknown subject. Is that why Emilee moved here? She told me it was because she had a sick uncle, but I had offhandedly asked Marcie how her uncle was doing and she nonchalantly shrugged and said he was just fine.

        I hated that Emilee lied, but then again I didn't exactly tell her how I became blind. It was so stupid really, I just wanted to pretend it never happened. I wanted to lie and tell her I was blind because I saved a cat and four puppies from a horrible house fire. Or a baby or something stupidly heroic like that. 

Another thing, I was pretty uncomfortable around people who did self harm. It was just freaky and so so wrong... and the only time I was ever exposed to it was when this one kid at my school decided to draw red lines up and down her arms, telling people she was alone and felt unloved and basically the whole thing was for attention. I knew not all were like that, and I honestly didn't think others, especially not Emilee did it for attention, but I just didn't like it. It made me uneasy.

        

I turned over in my sleeping bag so I faced Emilee, who sounded peacefully asleep. I could feel where her hand was, just inches from mine, so I took it and ran my fingers down her arm, first lightly, then harder as if to find any rough skin. My oversensitive fingers didn't feel any, so I put her hand down and rolled back around. 

I just didn't know.

***

I was startled awake when cold water splashed on me. I sat up quickly and looked up, wondering where it came from. I felt more, then I realized that it was raining. And quite hard too. I felt seriously stupid for not thinking to bring a tent or shelter of some sorts. I reached over and shook Emilee's sleeping bag.

        "Dude, rainstorm." I said. At the mention of it, it started to rain harder. I sputtered water.

        "Oh hello!" Emilee said. I heard her scramble out of her beanbag, and the shuffling towards my right told me she grabbed mine too, then she grabbed my hand and pulled me.

Thunder rumbled from a distance and Emilee laughed. That girl was crazy. 

Finally she pulled me into a dry tent, and I was about to say something before I heard her run out again. She must've gone out to grab the knapsacks or the food we left in the cooler. I sat down and shook out my hair, shivering at the sudden coldness.

        "Well, that was an adventure." Emilee said, her voice sounding more boyish than ever because of how tired she must've been. I nodded. There was an odd clicking sound, one I couldn't place. It wasn't until she sat down next to me, and I lightly touched her jaw to realize her teeth were chattering. She was shivering.

        "Emilee, you aren't still in your swimsuit are you?" I asked.

        "Y-yup. M-my s-stupid s-sist-t-er d-didn't p-pack ext-tra d-dry clothes-s-s."  She stuttered out.

        "Where the clothes you brought here?"

        "T-t-ruck."

        "Why don't you go get them? And hey, isn't there like a blanket in the back of your truck?" I asked.