Braille Displays and Collapsable Canes

"Get up, Archer! Dont want to be late for your first day back to high school!" Strider called. Urgh. I hate mornings. I've been allowed to sleep in for two years and now I get to wake up again to start senior year at Miller North High School. Great.

"Keep your pants on, Strider!" I call back slipping my legs over the side of the bed. I steady myself with a hand gripping the bed post firmly. I count my steps ,two to the right and nine forward, that brought me to my desk where I keep my Braille laptop and my collapsable cane. I didn't need my cane in the house, but I hadn't acctually ever been to Miller North.

Before. I went to Miller South, but they basically said in a letter that they were to lazy to deal with a blind kid.

I felt bad for making Strider change schools for me, but thankful he was going to help me. He had more roots in Miller South than me. I'd only been there for half of my freshman year before the accident.

I counted my steps out of the room (the door was always open for me) and then to the stairs. Strider's and my room is in the basement.

I reached my foot forward feeling for the stairs to make sure I had counted right. I was still tired, but I had. I climbed the stairs until linoleum replaced carpet announcing the last step. I reached forward and my hand met the wood of the door.

I felt for the door knob and opened it easily. I made my way into the kithen still clutching the folded cane tightly.

"Morning, Sleepy Head!" Sloan greeted me cheerfully. The smell of chocolate chip pancakes filled my nostrils.

"Morning, Sloan" I replied ignoring what she called me. I made my way to the bar stools by the counter, stubbing my toe on the fridge in the process, and sat down, putting my cane on the counter beside me.

The sound of pancakes being scrapped off a pan and onto a plate followed by footsteps and the sound of a plate on the countertop told me Sloan had given me some pancakes.

"You rock." I told her reaching/feeling for the plate. Her melodic laughter filled the room.

I took a bite of pancake as Strider walked in, I could tell it was him because of the distinct sound of converse. Noah and Noel woudn't ever even think of wearing converse and they were at work anyway and though Sloan would the other footsteps i heard earlier were muffled due to the fact she was bare foot.

"Good morning, Sloan. Arch." Strider greeted us taking a seat beside me. Sloan gave him a plate of pancakes too.

"So, Sloan, you excited for your first day of high school?" Strider asked. Sloan was starting freshman year today.

"Eh. Not really. If all high school students are like you two, I dont ever want to go." She answered. She laughed at something, Strider joined her laughter a second later. I hate it when they do that. I cant blame them i guess, but it really makes me feel so alone.

"Hey, Sloan, help me with my clothes." I said getting up off the bar stool taking my empty plate in my left hand and my folded cane in my right hand. I felt the plate being pulled out of my hand.

"Sure, but I'll take care of this." Sloan said. I nodded absently counting my steps to the stairs, then down the stairs then into my room. I waited in the middle of the room until I heard her coming down the stairs.

She didn't waste any time going to my closet.

"It's still hot so maybe a tee-shirt, basketball shorts, and tennis shoes because I'm pretty sure you have PE today." She said idly. There were some rustling noises coming from my closet.

She walked towards me and pushed some cloth into my hands.

"Black Basketball shorts, white skater graphic tee, and your sneakers." She said before I heard her footsteps receding into the other room and then up the stairs.

I felt around the materiel easily recognising the difference between the smooth silky shorts and the cotton tee shirt and of course the sneakers.

I changed and pulled on my shoes quickly. I made my way over to my desk then and grabbed my over-sized Braille laptop with built in Braille display and Braille keyboard. It was only big because of the Braille display.

I barely remembered to grab the cane I'd set on the bed when I was changing before I went upstairs and into the kitchen knowing Sloan had put my backpack on the table the night before.

"Here." Strider said pushing the backpack at me. I hadn't relized he was right in front of me.

"Just a second, Stride." I muttered turning and trying to think of how many steps from here to the counter.

He must have been impatient because he grabbed the laptop out of my hands and from the rustling sound I figured he'd shoved in my backpack and when he handed me the backpack I knew he had due to the fact that it had something rectangular in it and I didn't need any books or notebooks, that was what the laptop was for.

"C'mon. We're gonna be late." Strider said. He grabbed my upper arm and pulled me outside calling for Sloan over his shoulder.

He helped me into his 2004 GMC Yukon that he'd been saving for since we were ten. I had been saving for a Pick-Up of any kind, but gave him what I had after the accident.

Strider got in on the other side and shortly after the sound of flip-flops on cement grew closer until the door behind me opened and Sloan got in.

Strider drove recklessly. I could always tell by the almost constant swaying of the truck and Sloan's occaisional gasps.

Thankfully we got to school in one peice. I felt like kissing the ground when I finally got out of the truck.

I didn't though.

Confusing sounds and smells swirled around me. I swayed on my feet slightly and Strider caught my arm.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine." I replied unfolding my cane.

We made our way to the main office, I had my left hand on Strider's shoulder and my right one holding my cane that I tapped rhythmically on the ground. When we got to the office, Strider and I got our scheduals (Sloan had gotten her's at Freshman Orientation and everyone else except the new students had gotten it in the mail).

Then we went down the hall. Sloan left us shortly because her homeroom was on the other side of the building. I could tell Strider was angry with our scheduals because apparently most of our classes are on oppisite sides of the school.

"I cant believe this! We have Homeroom together. That's it! 8th and hour is the worst. Your's is Science on the second floor and mine is Geometry on the first. Complete oppisite sides of the building!" He muttered. My brother could be so very delightful sometimes! Note the sarcassim.

"Where's homeroom?" I asked.

"Just a couple more doors... let's see... 206, 207, 208.... here we are. Room 209." He muttered. He could sound like such a retard sometimes.

I didn't feel like waiting for him so I released his shoulder and put a hand on the wood in front of me. I felt for the door knob and opened it easily once it was located. Strider followed close behind.

He then grabbed my shoulder and starte to lead me to a desk I assumed, but an older man's voice stopped him.

"You must be Strider! Good to meet you."

"Uhh.. sure." Strider muttered with all his charm.

"And.... you... must... be... Arch-er! It's..... so... nice..... to... meet.... you.... too!" He said dragging each word out awkwardly. I was confused for a few seconds before I got it.

I stared at him angrily for a second or two.

"I'm BLIND! I'm not FUCKING RETARDED!" I spat at him. I could almost picture him recoiling in shock.

"Oh. Um. My apolegies." He muttered I heard his footsteps going quickly across the room.

Strider hesitated for a second before continueing towards wherever we had been going earlier. He turned me around after a few steps.

"Sit down now, but it's a bean bag so it's really low." He warned. Wait. A bean bag? What kind of class is this? I sat anyway and felt the beanbag sink slightly under my weight. I wasn't fat. I wasn't heavy even. I was one of those no-fat-to-be-seen-but-well-muscled individuals. So was Strider, but he was buffer.

I heard the door open and two girls' laughter.

"Ugh! Ali don't make me laugh when I'm sad!" One voice complained. A small laugh answered. Their footsteps got closer then stopped infront of me and Strider.

"Ummm... excuse me, but you're in our seats." The one who had complained to "Ali" said.

"Eli it's fine!" The other girl squeked.

"No it's not. I got to used to those chairs last year." Eli said stubbornly.

I sighed and started to get up grabbing my folded cane and backpack, but Strider grabbed my shoulder and forced me back down.

"No Archer. They cant just come in and expect us to move because they sat here last year." Strider said.

"God. It's not that big of a deal!" I said forcing my way up and unfolded my cane.

"I'm moving. You can sit there arguing all you want." I said rolling my eyes.

I tapped it uncertainly infront of me and then started forward.

I could easily picture Strider's face clouded with indecision.

I found what felt like a lawn chair and sat down. Strider came over and pulled me up then whispered in my ear that the girls had invited me back.

"God, Strider, your so horny!" I groaned. He just laughed.

I sat back down, this time on the floor.

"Why do you have that stick thingy?" Ali asked me.

"I'm blind. and It's a cane." I stated simply.

"Really? I thought you had to go to a special school when you're blind." She said the confusion evident in her voice.

I sighed and ignored her. I wasn't in the mood to talk this morning.

Strider on the other hand, kicked it off with them being the lady's man he is.

The last bell rang and some of the chatter cut off.

"Okay, we have three new students this year in our homeroom. Will you please stand up?" the teacher said. I stood slowly, feeling Strider rise beside me.

"Let's start with you. What's your name and why are you new this year." He stated.

"My names Kiima Terru and I moved here from Nicolai, Alaska." A hyper sounding girl's voice answered immediatly.

"Thank you, Kiima." The teacher said. "Now you two. Introduce yourselves to the class."

"My name's Strider. This is my brother Archer and we're here because Miller South didn't want a blind kid attending their school." Strider's voice rang loudly after the girl. I felt him lower and did the same as a few whispers went around about the fact that he mentioned I was blind. Well he didn't specify it was me.

"Thank you Archer and Strider." The teacher said. I wonder if he was thinking about the incident before class started.

This day was going to be hell.