Sightless

Chapter One

Picture is of Alex

                                                            Chapter One

          Alex walked through the halls of his brand new school counting his steps hoping he made it to his class.  He could feel the others eyes on him staring at him watching the new kid find his way around. He vaguely wondered if they knew about him or if he looked like any other new student with a nervous first day expression.

           Fifty-three, fifty-four, fifty-five.

            He sensed the corner, rounded it and walked into the class room. He was debating on if he was supposed to turn left or right when he felt a small hand rest lightly on his left shoulder. He turned around slowly to face the person he would never be able to see.

            "Hello, you must be Alex. Will you get embarrassed if I introduce you to the class?" the teacher asked in a whisper.

"No, no, go ahead. But I don't know where my desk is can you help me to it first?" Alex asked looking at the teacher without actually seeing her.

            "Of course, I'm Mrs. Hayden, by the way."

 Alex smiled because he could already tell he was going to like her.

             "Class, this is our new student, Alex Cruz. I will give you all ten minutes at the end of the period to get to know him a little better and make him feel more welcome."

            The room broke out into whispers as everyone was digesting the new kid. Again and again Alex heard girls say in various forms 'look at how cute the new kid is.' He simply smiled and waved to no one in particular before he took his seat.

            Although, this wasn't Alex's first public school, it was his first public high school and he was actually nervous. But it was his decision to attend this school when his parents broke him the news that they had to move due to his father’s job.

            Alex listened intently to Mrs. Hayden even though he had already learned this earlier in the term at his old school. He tried taking notes like he had practiced, but without Miss Penvency he had no clue if he what he was writing would make sense to anyone else. Not that he needed it to, but he felt the need to try to act normal. And as promised Mrs. Hayden gave the class ten minutes to talk to Alex and overwhelm him slightly.

            "Hey, Alex, my name is Angela. What brings you here?"

            "We had to move due to my father’s job," Alex said smiling at the girl.

            "Where are you from?" asked another girl.

            "Brooklyn. Before I moved there I went to a public school in Bronx."

            "Wow a Bronx boy," some girls giggled from the other side of the room.

            "Where'd you go to in Brooklyn? My cousin lives there, maybe you know her."

            Alex cringed slightly hoping they wouldn't ask him that. He didn't know any schools near there so he couldn't make up one. And he also took into consideration that they would notice how he never made eye contact, couldn't read, and was only slightly accurate when he turned his head to face them based on the sound of their voices. So he told the truth. "Brooklyn School for the Blind."

            "What?" everyone who has been paying attention to him asked all at once.

            "Why?" Angela asked, "You have gorgeous eyes. You aren't blind are you?"