Would you ever fall in love with a person who wasn't born with sight?

I totally would. After all, love is blind. Enjoy! x

Bright Eyes.

Song: SYML | Body

"Turn!" One of the popular guys with good vision at the back of the class yelled mockingly when my typewriter dinged, signalling that I'd reached the end of the paper.

"There's no need to keep yelling that. He can hear the sound for himself," the history teacher cautioned them. 

Undeterred by his scolding, they all just proceeded to laugh at me.

This wasn't the first time they'd done this, and it definitely wasn't going to be the last. I'd come to notice that the boys in my class were painfully incorrigible and effortlessly inconsiderate. They acted like they cared, but I knew they didn't-- they didn't even try hard enough. They always tried to suppress their laughter around me, but just because I couldn't see their faces didn't mean I couldn't hear it in their voices. 

The sound of their laughter had become a familiar tune to my ears. 

My whole life has been this way; dark, empty, and lonely. I've been the only one walking down this aphotic narrow pathway with nothing but my ears to guide me. 

I wasn't complaining. Well, I couldn't complain anymore-- I'd come to terms with my disability. 

Due to said disability, I had little to no friends. This being the case because most people who showed concern did it out of pity for me. Only a few of them really cared. I hated being pitied, I hated that people saw me this way-- I hated the fact that I was who I was. 

If I could get the chance to recreate myself and choose the circumstances of which I'd be surrounded, I wouldn't miss that opportunity for anything in the world. All in all, I was grateful for the two good friends I had: Davina and Belle-- they were both girls. 

Now, I try my best not to be stereotypical, but I thought this was the case because boys were awful empaths; they couldn't let themselves feel too much in the fear of losing their masculinity. 

Although there was a certain boy in my class named David who didn't seem to care about his masculinity, or probably did not have the right amount of testosterone in his body; he was nothing like the rest of them. Time and time again he'd proven this to me. But I wasn't one to fall for cheap tricks. No one could truly care about a disabled boy like me. 

Davina and Belle were not always there for me, and I couldn't blame them for this. They, too, had their own lives to live. That was one of the major reasons why my parents had hired a chauffeur to take me to and back from school since they, too, had their own lives to live. 

Today was one of those days when the girls weren't available, they'd gone straight to the mall after school. I now sat at the exit of our school, waiting to hear when my ride would pull over at the usual spot. You would be surprised at the things my ears could recognise, I could even discern a person's pattern of breathing from the other. 

Students passed by me, some voices sounded really familiar, but they never stopped to say a word to me. Sitting there quietly and listening to other kids who were what the boys in my class would refer to as "complete," I felt like a misplaced orange seed in the midst of healthy corn seeds. 

When the realisation hit me that my ride wasn't coming anytime soon, I put on my headphones and began playing a set of alternative songs-- my best genre. 

"Hey, Zoë," a familiar voice greeted me, taking a seat beside me. 

He must've thought I didn't hear him because I then felt his hand try to take my headphones off. 

"I heard you," I stopped him, taking it off myself.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I just thought that maybe you didn't." I could hear his smile in his voice. He always spoke with such composure. 

"I don't play music too loud unless I'm at home. I need my ears to gather information on my immediate surroundings," I replied, setting my headphones down in my lap. 

The reason I'd chosen to ignore him at first was because I thought if I did, then he would go away-- just like everyone else did. But this was David. David always stayed.

"So, um, can I walk you home?" He offered. 

"My chauffeur is on his way," I gave him the same answer I'd always given him each time he made that offer. "But thanks." 

"Okay, then," he sighed, still hopeful. 

From his tone, I could tell that if he sees me seated here on Monday after school, he wouldn't hesitate to make that offer being fully aware of my default answer. 

"So, I was thinking, do your parents allow your friends to visit?" He started again.

"I don't have that many friends," I answered after a short pause, still paying close attention to hear when my ride would arrive. "But I'm sure my mum would totally appreciate it if someone besides Davina or Belle pays me a visit." 

"Oh? That's great then. I refused to hang with the guys at the arcade this weekend, I can't tolerate them in school, and also force myself to tolerate them outside school. So, because of that, I've been looking for a way to spend my weekend and there's no better way to spend it than with you. Expect me tomorrow," he informed me. 

I was beyond shocked that he actually said those words with some sort of excitement, and truly meant it. I could tell that he did. My ears were good at catching the lies in people's voices. When people lie, they tend to speak faster so they can get it all out at once without stuttering-- although, sometimes, most people fail woefully and make it too obvious. 

"You want to pay me a visit?" I wondered, blurting the question at him just to be sure. 

"Yes, Zoë. Or am I not allowed to?" 

"You are," I quickly intoned, clenching my jaws for almost sounding  joyful. "That's if it's convenient for you," I then added.

Of course it was convenient for him, it was convenient for anyone to pay anyone a visit in this small town. Everyone lived closely together, close to the school. I just couldn't understand why he would pass off spending time with the athletes just to sit and talk with me; a boring boy with a visual impairment. 

"I'm going to pay you a visit tomorrow whether it's convenient for me or not. Don't worry about me," he giggled softly, placing a light tap on my thigh. 

"I wasn't worrying about you," I mumbled a lie to myself. 

Of course I worried about David, I always did. He was the only boy in the whole school who actually cared about me, the only voice who constantly refused to join the rest to laugh at me whenever I was being made mockery of for being incomplete.

"After spending a whole week in and out of class with those guys, I need a break from them." He completely ignored what I'd mumbled under my breath. I was certain he'd heard me, though. "Don't bother preparing a feast for me," he added, laughing at his own joke. 

Just then, my chauffeur pulled onto the driveway. I didn't request for his help-- I knew my way around-- but he draped his arm around my elbow and led me to the car, yelling an over-enthusiastic goodbye right before my ride drove out of the school.

"It seems David still loves waiting with you," my chauffeur started a conversation. 

After my parents, he was the next adult I was close to. He was like the older brother I never had, or the younger brother my parents decided not to have. 

"I don't think he's giving up anytime soon," I leant my head backwards and brought the window down so the breeze would fall directly in my face. 

"He's a good lad. You should give him a chance to be your friend. Stop pushing him away," he worried, his genuine concern for me filling the air around us.

"I really haven't been pushing him away. If I was, then I definitely wasn't doing it hard enough because he's coming to the house tomorrow. He wants to pay me a visit," I revealed. 

"Oh, does he? Well, that's something new to look forward to."

"I suppose it is," I sighed, letting my shoulders slump as the breeze soothed me and made away with every negative energy from school. I never took it home with me, because my home was my safe space. It had to remain sacred.

And now I'm going to think about him all night.

* * *

David had arrived a lot earlier than I expected... Well, not really. Actually, at some point, I thought he wasn't going to come anymore, but when he did, I couldn't believe he'd actually meant what he said about valuing my company over spending time with the athletes.

After my mum screened him thoroughly, I directed him up to my room before my parents could interview him any further. I basically knew every crook and cranny of my house. It was my house, after all.

He'd spent the last twenty minutes telling me about his best sport: football, and all I could deduce from his stories was that he was such a dedicated athlete-- an absolute jock. 

"So, in summary, what you're trying to say is that you're one of the top five goal scorers and midfielders in our school?" I shortly said the second he stopped talking.

There was a pause before he answered with a giggle. "That's totally not the summary of all I just said, but yes. Yes, I am."

"Huh," I let air out of my nose, unable to stop myself from smiling in his direction. 

There was just something about David, something I hadn't seen or felt with anyone else. I refused to admit that just the thought of him made me really happy. Up until this point, I still refused to. However, it was gradually getting more difficult to deny that truth. 

"Why are you always around, David? What do you see in me?" 

It was only after I voiced that question that realised it should've stayed locked away in my head. These were the kinds of thoughts that never needed to be expressed.

"Something I've never seen in anyone else," he swiftly answered.

Being too busy entertaining a building inner panic, I wasn't expecting a reply from him. I guess today was the day of surprises. He was in my room right now-- number one big surprise.

"Well, I don't see anything in you," I lied. Displeased by myself, I quickly added. "Or anyone, for that matter."

But I didn't need to see anything physically to be able to feel anything emotionally, and I was certain David made me feel an awful lot in my heart. 

"That hurt," he laughed, but I could hear the pain in his voice. My words had actually hurt him-- something I never thought could ever happen. "Tell me, Zoë, how good is your hearing?" 

"As good as your sight," I said the first thing that came to my mind. 

"Oh? Sassy much?" He gasped.

"God, I'm so sorry," I quickly apologised, once again regretting my choice of words. 

"What are you apologising for?"

"I don't know," I muttered, playing with my hands to busy them.

"Let me tell you something, Zoë, you've done absolutely nothing to be sorry for. While, on the other hand, the world can never apologise to people like you enough," he said. 

Even though I tried to hide it, a sheepish grin spread across my face with the heat that built up from my neck.

"Thank you," I mumbled under my breath. 

"There you go again, thanking me. What have I done?" He laughed genuinely this time. 

"Thank you for hanging out with me and trying to make up for the bad deeds of the world." 

"Oh my God, you think that's why I'm here?" The soft, deep sound of his laugh somehow tickled my fancy, I couldn't bring myself to stop smiling. "Screw the world! The world can piss off! It's just you and me here right now. No ill intentions, no ulterior motives-- just us." 

I remained quiet. This was the longest conversation I'd ever had with a boy from school. All the time I'd spent with Davina and Elle, I never smiled this much. For the first time ever, I knew what it felt like to have butterflies flutter frantically in your stomach. 

"Say, Zoë, can I test how good your hearing is?" He asked after suppressing his laughter. 

"How do you intend to do that?" 

"Can I get an exercise book and a pen?" He requested. 

"Sure," I made to stand up and fetch the materials for him, but he stopped me by placing a hand on my thigh. 

"Oh, no need to bother yourself. Just direct me to it and I'll get it myself. 

Hesitating for a minute or two, I unwillingly gave in. "It's in the third drawer on the right. Take out the first book in the cabinet, and please, I beg you, do not disarrange even a single sheet or you'll render me blind." I stopped and waited for him to laugh, but it seemed it was a bad joke. 

I normally did not make fun of my predicament, but since others could, then I also had the right to at least once in a while.

"There's a container filled with stationery items on my desk," I finished giving the directions after an awkward bout of silence between us.

"Got it," he chirped and shot up to get the items he needed. 

From the sound of things, I could tell he was trying his best to be as conscientious as ever about it, so I refused to complain when I heard painful clattering sounds come from my desk. Although I flinched and hoped beyond everything mundane that he hadn't blundered. 

"I didn't scatter anything, I swear!" He huffed as he settled down.

"No need to swear." The smile returned to my face. "I just hope you actually didn't." 

How could he be so joyful? His happiness was so tangible, it filled the entire room.

"Okay, so listen attentively. I'm going to write things down now, your only job is to tell me what I wrote. Are you ready?" 

This should be really easy for me. However, given the fact that I wasn't really thinking straight at the moment, I feared that I might disgrace myself. 

"I'm ready." 

"Here goes," he said and brought the pen to meet the paper, writing slowly.

I paid close attention to every stroke, every pause in his writing. But just as quickly as he started, he stopped. 

"Is that it?" I asked, a bit puzzled, refusing to believe what my brain was telling me. 

"Yes. That's all. So, what did I write?" He giggled softly, somewhat mischievously.

"You wrote only three words. No dots, no commas, or period. Just three words. You paused only twice, hence three words."

"So, what are these words? Can you tell?" 

Biting my lower lip, I brought myself to give voice to the words I had in mind. "I love you?"

There was a long pause after I said that. He didn't move, he didn't speak, his breathing was soft and slow. I began to panic. "If that's not it, I can keep guessing--"

"Yes, and I love you, too, Zoë."

Before I could wrap my head around what he'd said, I felt his lips on mine. They felt so warm and soft. I'd never felt anyone's lips on mine. The only lips I'd ever felt on my body were my mum's which never exceeded the boundaries of my forehead. 

He pulled away after a few short seconds and sat beside me on my bed. With a hand around my neck, he whispered into my face; "I love you so much, Zoë, and that is why I'm here. Not because I'm trying to make up for all the wrong the world has done to you, but because I want to try my best to make everything right for you." 

Still lost in a speechless trance, I felt a wave of different emotions at once. The dominant emotion being David's compassion towards me. My affection for him which I'd tried my best to submerge under all the other emotions shot right up to the surface. I couldn't deny it any longer. 

That must've been what it felt like to be in love. But most importantly, that was what it felt like to be truly loved by someone who wasn't related to you by blood. 

I felt loved and I loved, wholly. 

Despite being seen as incomplete, I felt whole having David's hand play with the hair at the back of my head. I felt complete. And for the first time ever, I could see. I could see a brighter future for myself, for the people around me. Things didn't seem so gloom anymore.

* * *

Please feel free to vote and drop your thoughts. Till next time.
- DrillBurger ♡♡