"Why does Maegan always serves the ball to your direction?" Leanna asks.

"I don't know," I say, even though I have an idea on what's it all about.

"Because she's her target," Kamille chimes in, passing the ball to the other side of the field. One of the members of the other team touches the net in catching the ball so it's another point for us.

I'm already gasping for breaths even though it's just a couple of minutes before the games started. Sweat pours down my face and I wipe it away with my sleeve.

Caleb and Alex play really well. They can be a member of volleyball team. The audience are enjoying themselves as they watch the Vandom brothers play. There are even girls cheering for them. Caleb and Alex are just here for a couple of days but they're already famous.

"Annalise!"

Lawrence pushes me out of the way and jump serve the ball before it lands on my face.

"Keep your head on the game!" Coach yells, making my classmates laugh hard on the bleachers.

Caleb catches my eye and then he winks at me, the same time the other team passes the ball on his direction. It's a good thing that Alex underhand it on time.

"Caleb, don't stare at Annalise!" Coach chastises, but there's a hint of smile on his voice.

The boys snort at the comment while the girls throw me daggers.

I shake my head to clear my thoughts. I have to keep my mind set on winning. The score is 17 for the opponent and 22 for us. Three more points to go and we'll win. And then I can shower and change into comfortable clothes.

I hear their warning. At first, I don't get it. And then I see the ball, high above the air. It will land to my face, I realized too late. Everything's happening in real slow motion. I try to move out of the way. But as I mentioned, it's too late. But still, I try.

Unfortunately, my feet don't want to move. I hear shouts around me but before I can do anything to stop it, the ball hit the side of my head. Its impact makes me fall to the ground, face first.

Not again, I think. And that's when I black out.

"Get out of the way!"

Too late, I think. Too late.

It's too late because when I turn, the ball's on my face already. Before I know it, I'm falling on the ground. Everything around me becomes blurry at first and then all my senses shut down at once.

It's the next day when I wake up. Is it? Maybe it's still Wednesday?

My head is throbbing, like there's someone hammering on the inside and out. I haven't opened my eyes yet but they feel heavy. When I hear footsteps walking inside the room, I feign sleeping. I make my breathing normal so that whoever walks here will not know I'm just pretending.

Where am I in the first place? The bed where I'm lying is much more comfortable than my own bed. The pillows are soft. I can feel a lot of blankets surrounding me.

The footsteps are moving closer and closer to me. The person sits on the chair beside my bed and puts something on the drawer. It sounds like a tray because it clatters when he sets it down. And then I hear him sigh.

After that, there's silence; a complete and total silence. I wonder why the person isn't making any noise. I'm so curious; I want to find out who he is. Based from his sigh, I decide that the person is a boy.

"I know you're awake."

Without opening my eyes, I know that it's Alex. His voice is so familiar, it can be my own. Still, I don't open my eyes.

"Alyson," Alex says.

I keep still, even though I want to peek and see his reaction.

"I'm going to pour this water on you if you will not open your eyes," he threatens.

At his words, my eyes open without permission. It's like they have a mind of their own. I don't know why I believed that he has water on his hand. I'm about to scowl at him but stop myself when I see his expression. For a ten year old boy, he looks so serious; like an adult.

"What?" I ask uneasily.

He ignores my question and asks, "Can you sit?"

I look around me for the first time since I open my eyes. White paint is surrounding all the walls in the room. There's a yellow curtain on the bed next to mine.

A sigh escapes from my lips at the same time I realize where I am. The infirmary.

"Can you sit?" Alex repeats.

I glance up to see him looking at me worriedly. "I'm fine," I say, even though my cheeks are protesting when I smile.

"I'm not asking if you're okay," Alex says dryly.

"Why are you so grouchy?" I ask, pushing the hair out of my face.

"I am not," he says wearily.

"Why are you even here?"

"You want me to leave?" he asks slowly.

"Of course not," I say quickly.

I try to sit but my spinal cord protests so I lay down again.

"Let me help you," Alex says, standing up from his chair.

"I don't want to sit," I whine.

"You can't eat like that," he says stubbornly.

"I'm not hungry," I say, at the same time my stomach growls.

The corner of his mouth twitches upward. He then moves to my side and props a pillow on the headboard. He holds my arms as I try to sit comfortably.

"Okay now?" he asks.

I nod.

He moves his chair closer to my bed and gets a bowl on his tray.

"What's that?" I wonder out loud.

"Food," he says obviously.

"I meant what kind?" I ask, rolling my eyes.

"Soup," he answers.

"What happened before?"

"You don't remember?"He asks incredulously.

"Will I ask if I remember?"I point out.

He shakes his head and mutters something under his breath.

"What?" I ask.

"You eat, I'll talk," he tells me, putting a spoon full of soup in my mouth.

Its creaminess makes me remember how hungry I am.

"You walked in at the wrong time," Alex says, "When we were playing catch the ball. We tried to tell you but it was like you did not hear us or something. When the ball. . . ." he trails off. "You fell; face first on the ground."

"Oh, no," I mutter.

He continues to put the spoon in my mouth despite my shock reaction. I just swallow the food without tasting it.

"Mirror," I whisper.

He looks at me hesitantly and then he pulls a mirror from his shorts pocket. He gives it to me after a few seconds.

I raise the mirror to see myself. I expect to have a broken nose, bleeding lips and damage face. Fortunately, there are only few bruises and scratches on my face. My lower lip has a cut but I don't think anything's broken.

Truth is, I just assume a lot worse so I won't be disappointed. I give the mirror back to him.

"What do you think?" he asks.

I shrug. "At least I still have my face," I joke to lighten the mood. "It can be worse."

"It can be worse," he repeats.

When I resurface to consciousness, I hear soft murmurs on the other side of the door. I can't quite decipher what they're talking about.

Someone nudges me on the arm, and it's so soft, I don't want it to stop. And then a part of my arm feels wet. Someone's licking it.

The thought is gross; it makes me open my eyes.

I open them again, but I still can't see anything.

Am I blind? Because I can't see anything! I put my fingers on my eyes to check if they're open, and they are!

I try to think of the things that happened earlier, and it all leads to playing volleyball.

Yes, the ball landed on my head. But does that mean it blinded me? I bet Maegan's partying right now. She gets what she wants. How can she be so mean? I haven't done anything to her!

I can't believe I am blinded by a ball! Tears escape from my eyes without permission and when they fall, I can't control them anymore.

A stupid thought comes to my mind then; at least I can still cry, right?

My head is throbbing, my eyes are crying, someone is licking my arm.

How can I see the beauty of the world when I can't even see? I have a lot of dreams. What will I do now? How can I read? Reading is my refuge and I can't let anyone and anything to take it away from me.

Before I know it, I'm sobbing uncontrollably.

What now?

My hands wipe my eyes blindly.

And then I hear a click.

There's a bright light engulfing my vision. Vision!

I can see a light bulb in the ceiling. My light bulb. My ceiling. It's blurry at first, but when I blink my eyes, everything becomes normal and clear.

I look to my right and see Puppy licking my arm. I've never been so happy too see him. I hug him close to me, burrowing my face on his fur. I'm in my room after all!

"Sleeping beauty's finally awake?" Alex says, leaning casually beside my doorway. When he looks at my face, he asks, "Why are you crying?"

"I am not," I deny, wiping the evidence on my shirt. That's when I noticed that I'm wearing my house clothes now.

"Who changed my clothes?" I ask.

Alex shakes his head quickly. "I did not," he says. He looks embarrassed and he's blushing!

Who would have thought Alex Vandom can blush?

"I changed your clothes," Caleb says, walking inside my room. "I hope you don't mind." He smiles, and his eyes glitter in delight.

"What?" I exclaim, sitting up on my bed.

And then he sees my face, and my eyes which are no doubt puffy by now.

"I was just kidding," he murmurs. "Does your head hurt? Is that why you're crying?"

Boys! They are so— Ugh!

"What are you two doing here?" I ask, ignoring Caleb's question.

"They helped you to get home," Margarett says, entering my room with a tray full of snacks; more like cookies and glasses of milk. "You were in the clinic first, and when the school had to close, they offered to get you home."

"Oh," I murmur. "I guess you know each other then."

"Yes," Margarett says with a big smile on her face, "These are fine young men."

Caleb and Alex both blush on cue.

Oh! If only my accident isn't the reason they're blushing, I'll appreciate it even more. They look so cute!

I glance at my alarm clock and see that it's ten in the evening already.

"Annalise," Margarett says.

"What?" I mutter, looking down at my hands on my lap.

"Next time you play volleyball," she says in a teasing voice, "Pay attention to the ball."

And then she laughs. Caleb and Alex follow soon after. I laugh too because I want to let out all the sadness I feel and simply because it feels so good to laugh.

My head throbs, my face hurts, but still, I can see. There's something to be thankful of.

Besides, it can be a lot worse.

*****

I hope you like this ^.^ If you're confused, don't hesitate to ask . . . Lawrence is the name of the guy beside Annalise on the last chapter.

The song is Big Big World by Emilia :)

Thank you so much <3