Love Makes Blind

[Elia's Point of View]

I walked inside the classroom and felt everybody eyes at me.
“Hi.” I waved.
Someone walked over and took my hand. “I’m Mrs. Espinoza, are you the new girl?”
“Yes, Elia Agostino.”
“Let me show you your seat.” She led me to a chair and I sat down.
“Thank you.” I smiled.
“Just tell me if I can help you with anything.” She disappeared.

“Hi, I’m Dakota. Elia, right?” A boy said next to me. I turned towards his voice and put my arms out.
“Nice to meet you Dakota.” He shook my hand.
“How come you’re in an advanced art class when you are blind?” he asked me. I had been asked that question several times before.
“It’s just something I have mastered all my life.”

“Okay, students. You are going to draw portrait of someone that means a lot to you today. It can be your parents, siblings, friend or a love interest. It’s not allowed to use pictures; you have to draw them from your mind.” Mrs. Espinoza said.
Someone put a paper in front of me and handed me a pencil.
I closed my eyes, not that is was any different, and let my mind wander to Paul while I moved the pencil around on the paper.
“Wow, Elia that is amazing. How do you do it?” Dakota asked me after a half hour.
“Hm… Who does it looks like?” I asked a little insecure – I couldn’t be sure I did it right.
“That looks like a picture of Paul Talley, that big senior.” He told me.
I grinned. “Then I just drew him.”
“Elia, really impressing, I must say, you have a real good talent.” Mrs. Espinoza said as she passed.
“She rarely gives out positive critics.” Dakota said beside me.
I felt proud. “Do you mind putting it in my bag?”
“Of course not.” He said just as the bell rang. “Do you want me to follow you to your next class?”
“Paul is waiting outside, but you can follow me to the door.” I smiled.

I stood up and Dakota took a hold of my elbow and guided me to the door.
“Get your hands of her!” I heard Paul the second we walked out the door.
Dakota removed his hand immediately. “Paul, he is just helping me!” I turned to Dakota. “Thank you, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He mumbled a good bye before he walked off.
“That was so unnecessary.” I glared at where I thought Paul stood.
“A little more to the right.” He chuckled. I turned my head a little more to the right. “You didn’t see the way he looked at you!” he defended himself.
“No, I didn’t, and you shouldn’t care either. It’s not like we’re dating or anything.” My tone was sharp
Paul sighed. “Okay, I’m sorry. Let me follow you to class, you have English.”

I nodded and let him wrap his arm around me and we walked down the hallway. I felt many pairs of eyes on us.
“People are staring at us… Why?” I mumbled and turned my head against Paul’s chest.
I felt the vibrations as he laughed quietly. “They’re not used to see me walk around with a girl this way, especially a sophomore.”
I frowned and fell silent.
“So, did you draw me something?” he asked when I didn’t reply.
“Yes… But you’re not getting it yet.”
“Why?” he whined.
I laughed. “I haven’t forgiven you for overreacting on Dakota yet.”
He sighed. “Tell me when you have.”
“Here you are, see you soon Elia.” Paul kissed my cheek and pushed me towards the door before he walked off.
I walked into class.

English passed rather quickly. The school got me books in Braille so I managed to hang on. I loved books, but I liked more that others read to me then reading them myself.
I didn’t find Paul outside the classroom so I decided to wait.
“Paul asked me to come over to his place after school.” I heard a girly voice say beside me.
“You’re getting yourself a bit of Paul, huh?” another girly voice said, followed by a fit of giggles.
“I thought he was dropping me when he stood me up last night, but he obviously didn’t get what he needed from that new retarded girl.” The first girl said.
“I was with him last week. He must be some kind of a sex god. It was am-azing!”
I wanted to tell them I was blind, not deaf. But I didn’t have anything to be mad at. Paul and I were just friends. I said it myself earlier.

Just then I felt a pair of arms warm around my shoulders.
“Sorry I’m late, the teacher held us.” Paul said and started walking.
“It’s okay.” I said silently.
We walked in silence till we got to the cafeteria.
“Stay right here and I’ll get our food.” He walked away from me. Paul was back quickly and took my hand.
“Sit.” he ordered. “Are you planning to give me what you made in art soon?”
I smiled as I felt him sit down beside me. “It’s in my bag, you find it.” I heard him pull a paper from my bag but he didn’t say anything.
“If you think it’s stupid you can just throw it away.” I mumbled and nibbled on a pizza Paul had given me.
“No, it’s just wow. How do you do it?” He asked me. “It looks just like me. Are you sure you are blind?”
I laughed a little. “Yes. I manage to draw people I’m close to. I have drawn my mother and Darin several times before. The doctors don’t have any better explanation than, you know earlier at the toilets, I felt how your face looked, that my hands or mind know how to form it on a paper or something.” I told him. “I’m blind. Even though it seems like I know how you look, I don’t.”
“Okay, I see. It’s perfect, except my lips, they are a little wrong. Do you want to get to know them better?” I could practically hear the smirk.
I shoved his shoulder and blushed a little. “Stop it.”
He laughed. “It’s okay, we’ll get to It.” he put his arm around my waist and pulled me closer.

Someone cleared their throat in front of us. “Elia, I just wanted to say sorry for earlier.” I recognized Quil’s voice.
“It’s okay Quil, I just overreacted.” I smiled.
“So we’re cool?” he asked me. He sounded real sorry for upsetting me.
“We’re cool.”
“Don’t you have things to do?” Paul asked him in a sharp tone.
“Sam called and said you’d have to be there today, since you wasn’t yesterday.”
“I’ll be at Emily’s around four.” Paul said
“Kay’” I heard him walk away.
“Who are Sam and Emily?” I asked.
“They are some friends. Emily have the best food in this town, I’m sure. I’ll bring you over to them sometime.”
“That would be fun.” I smiled. “Why do you always sound so angry or irritated when you talk to Quil and the others?”
“I spend too much time with them. And you get pretty tired of people when you hear their every thought.” Paul shrugged.
“Then why are you with them?” I asked and furrowed my brows.
“Their my brothers.” He simply stated.

“Tell me some of the upsides with being blind.” Paul said and handed me a sandwich when he saw I was done with my pizza.
“Well, there isn’t many, but I have excellent hearing and scent of smell.”
“What’s your favorite scent then?” he wondered.
“Cinnamon and- No forget it.” I blushed.
He laughed. “What?” he asked.
“I kinda like your scent…” I mumbled.
“And how does I smell?” he asked. I could feel his stare on me.
I turned my head and sniffed his shoulder. “A mix of fresh forest and a perfume.”
“That’s good. What’s your favorite color?” he asked.
“I don’t know colors. I only see black. But I think it’s white. I have been told that’s the opposite of black. And I see black all the time.” I told him.
“Makes sense.” Paul said.

“What’s up with all the questions, by the way?” I asked him.
“I want to get to know you better.” He took my hand and laid them on the table.
“Very well then, ask me anything.” I smiled and took a sip of my water.
“Tell me about your family. Why did you move to America?”
“When my parents met, they were both models for the same company. My father worked professionally, but my mom only did it to pay for her med. school. Well they got together, got engaged and married and right after mom was done with school she got pregnant with Darin. Four years later she had me. Dad was a stay at home full-time father to me and Darin while mom was working around the clock at the hospital.
“When I became blind, my father got back to modeling to start saving money for my operation. But just before I turned five, my dad got cancer and all the money we had saved up was used for his treatment. He died shortly afterwards. My mom packed us up and moved to America. She meant it would be good for us to get a new start and she was better paid here.” I said and I felt a tear run down my cheek. Paul dried it off before I got the chance to do it.

“I’m so, so sorry Elia.” he pulled me into a tight hug. “Tell me about your brother. You seem very close to him.” he let me go and only held my hand.
“Darin is the best brother I could ever dream of. He would literally go through fire for me. When I became a teenager, he took a course and learned how to lay makeup just so he could make things easier for me.” I laughed. “He had some models job where we lived before, but he gave them up to move here. And now he is staying home to look after me. He is my best friend I can tell him everything.”

I got broken off by the school bell. “You can tell me more later.” Paul said and stood up. He handed me my bag and started walking with his hand securely around my waist.

The last four periods was finished and I found myself on Paul’s back, walking back to my house.
“Do you want to come in?” I asked when he saw me down on my porch.
“I’m sorry, I can’t I promised my mom I’d eat dinner with her before I went to Sam’s.”
I nodded. “Okay, see you tomorrow then. Bye.” I felt a little sad.
I turned to walk inside the house but Paul caught my hand. “Spring break is next week; I swear I’ll be with you every day.” He bent down and kissed me below my earlobe. I got goose bumps all over.
“Okay.” I said again.
I walked inside in a daze and found Darin cooking in the kitchen.