He's Real c.h.

Twenty: mostly blind

(Carson picked Maely and Ashton up from the hospital the next morning. The whole group of friends skipped lessons to keep Ashton company. He was much happier and a bit healthier now that his friends were here. He convinced Maely to read to him after dinner. Maely's tics had improved significantly and it didn't happen much. Ashton fell asleep to the sound of her voice, while the others were bored to sleep. Maely snuck downstairs to the lounge. Only a few people are ever in there and she'd heard people talking about it.)

Maely decided to check out the lounge.

She'd never been there before and she was eager to see what was down there.

It was a small room connecting to the lobby. All the lights were off, but she snuck in anyway.

The room was pitch black, with exception of the TV. The furniture was of black leather and in the center of the very small room sat a coffee table.

Maely sat down in a love seat directly across the TV and looked around.

"Hello." said a voice.

Maely looked to her right to see a tall boy sitting on the couch.

She sighed with relief. "Hi," she said. She noticed how tinted the boy's glasses were and figured he was blind. "I'm Maely."

"I'm Dylan." he said.

Maely couldn't see much detail of him in the poor lighting, but he was very pale.

That's all she could tell.

"So...are you, uh," Maely realized how stupid the question was, as soon as it slipped out.

"Blind?" Dylan finished. He then shook his head.

"Well," he thought aloud. "Mostly blind. I can only see very basic shapes."

Maely nodded, then felt guilty. "Oh." she said blankly.

"So what are you doing up so late?" he asked suddenly.

"Uh," Maely stammered. She had no clue why she came down here. Curiosity, yes, but something else. "I was kind of lonely..."

Dylan nodded, "I hear ya on that one."

They were quiet for a minute. The minute stretched to 10, then Dylan spoke.

"Maely," he said. She turned to him. "Since you and I are both lonely, I think we should do this every night. I've been waiting for a long time for someone to show up here. I like you."

Maely smiled. "Ok, every night after 9. And I like you, too."

Dylan nodded and her smile grew a little.

"Ya know, I've been working on my reading skills...and I brought my book. Wanna hear some?" Maely suggested.

Dylan's face lit up the room with a bright smile and he nodded.

"It's called: The Hobbit," she cleared her throat, then continued. "In a hole in a ground, there lived a hobbit..."

~~~

"Where'd you disappear to last night?" Calum asked Maely.

They both smiled, making their way through the crowded hallway. Calum was in his happy, puppy mood, making Maely very happy.

"The lounge. I read to an almost-blind dude." she said proudly.

He smiled down at her, "You're too sweet."

"I know." Maely replied, making him laugh.

She tried her best not to scratch her arm.

"So, I'm going there again tonight, wanna come? If you don't say anything, he won't know you're there." Maely said.

A mischievous smiled crept across her face.

"Sounds like a party." he said with a nod.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Sorry I added all that junk in the beginning, I just didn't feel like writing it out.

p.s. Sorry, Emma, I swear I'll put you in this more. You're in Chapter 22! Ily💕