Close Your Eyes to See.

When eye's can't look at you any other way.

John O’Callaghan watched from a distance. His green eyes settled on the beautiful girl standing out in front of him. Every day she would sit there completely alone. Her floral dress hung loosely on her sun kissed skin while the large black sunglasses covered more than half of her doll-like face. He watched with amazement as she felt the solid ground below her, the sun dew of the morning grass soaking into her fingertips. He watched her spread her arms, outstretched into the warm Arizona breeze. Every move she made would fascinate him to no ends.

Autumn Surprise Thomas

Everyone knew her name and her story. Tempe was a large city filled with millions of people. The town was filled with talk and talk about Autumn Surprise Thomas.

John remembered when he first heard her name. He was young, only 12 years old. He didn’t understand then. He didn’t understand what was wrong with her. He just knew she was sick. That was all he was told. All the kids wouldn’t talk to the girl, mainly because she was different. Rumors about her illness being contagious scared them all away to the point where Autumn was homeschooled. John had to admit that he was one of those kids, the ones that feared that if he would to touch the girl he would, like they all would say, catch it. He was young and very naïve.

He still remembered the first words she ever spoke to him.

He saw her standing at the corner of the street. She was gripping the brick wall looking almost terrified. So he did what he thought was right, he walked over to her and asked if she needed help. She just looked out not daring to turn in his direction. He watched her tongue swipe over her dry lips.

“Aren’t you going to run?”

Her eyes were gray but he saw through it. Instead of doing what he was told he placed an arm out. He hesitantly grabbed her arm and placed it in his. He still remembered the shock on her face. And at that moment John felt his heart break. That she had a face full of shock for a minimal sense of humanity.

“There’s a step,” he instructed her holding her up slightly as she slowly felt the curb with her foot. “There you go,” he said with a smile.

“I forgot my white-tipped cane,” she said only to hear complete quietness in his voice. “You know those things blind people use to walk,” she said with a hint of humor in her voice.

She could tell John was nervous. She heard the large gulp of air he took in. Autumn had invested in her other senses for the failure in one.

“I know what they are.”

“I was just making sure.”

John could only smile as he held on to her arm guiding her down the street in the opposite direction of her home.

“Don’t you live the other way?”

“Yeah,” she said with a shrug as he continued to hold on to John’s arm, she enjoyed his presence.

“Shouldn’t you be going the other way then?”

“Why?”

John didn’t know what to say. Well he knew what he wanted to say but he didn’t want to offend the girl so he stayed quiet. He looked over at her and he couldn’t help but to feel completely lost. Her hair was beautiful. Her hair was very long and blonde that rested just above her breast. He looked down her V-neck top and then realization took over him. He had just been checking out a blind chick, he was definitely going to hell.

“Staring is very rude,” she said keeping her stare straight ahead.

“Um, h-how did you k-know I was staring at you. I m-m-mean you can’t see and oh my god I’m a fucking asshole,” he said continuing to ramble only to hear her soft chuckle. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay John.”

John’s head snapped up in confusion. “How do you know my name?”

“We used to have a class together,” she said with a smile. “I kind of remembered your voice. You have a very distinct one I must say,” she said with a smile. “Very raspy and tired like, I like it.”

“You like my voice?”

She didn’t say anything but nearly nodded her head. “Are we close to the park?”

John looked away from the girl before looking forward. He smiled to himself; she had known exactly where she was going.

“It’s right in front of us.”

“Thank you,” she said with a smile. “My name is Autumn,” she said with a warm smile.

“I know who you are Autumn Surprise Thomas.”

“It’s a weird name.”

“I like it.”

“My mom didn’t know she was pregnant with me until she was seven months. The doctors told her she would never be able to have children and here I came, Surprise!”

“I think gives your name more character, I’m just the fifth John in my family. Nothing too special,” he said as the girl smiled up at him.

“Don’t ever think you’re not special, everyone is in their own way but thank you for helping me. That was very sweet of you.”

He felt her pull her arm away from his before walking forward. John stood there in complete shock. As he watched Autumn walk through the bright green grass he felt something take over his body. And almost like a magnetic force was pulling him, he found himself sitting next to girl.


John let his fingers run through his hair but letting his eyes keep a close watch on the girl in front of him. He was never able to look away from her. He was never able to stop thinking about her. Ever since the day at the park when they were 16 years old a beautiful friendship bloomed between the two. She was that one person he found himself confine in. She didn’t judge him. She didn’t tell him he was idiot when he would tell her about his mistakes. She would just listen. And that was what he loved most about her.

She was completely perfect in his eyes.

“Do you ever get sad?”

John looked over at the girl as they lay on the green grass. Her sunglasses perched on her nose as she shrugged her shoulder.

“Of course I do, don’t you?”

“I do,” he said with a sigh. “But you know what I mean.”

“John, I’m blind,” she said with a chuckle. “I still have my other senses. I still feel the warm air and wet grass. I could smell your terrible cologne,” she said bringing humor into the serious conversation, John adored when she did that. “And I could still hear your terrible band,” she said as John let out a loud laugh. “I’m lucky enough to have those things.”

“Don’t you ever want to see things?”

“Of course,” she said with a smile. “I would love to see the blue skies, the green grass and the faces of people that I love but I cant. And dwelling on that will destroy me so I rather be happy for what I have then miserable for what I don’t have.”

John was at a loss of words, he always ways. He enjoyed Autumn’s positive outlook on life. “You’re beautiful,” he spoke reaching out and grabbing her hand.

“Am I?”
John’s head snapped up turning to look at her. She was already sitting up with a look of confusion.

“You are extremely beautiful.”

She let go of his rough hands. She had always had a bit of a crush on John. In all reality she was in love with him. He was the only person that treated her like a person and not like a child. He allowed her to live but she always thought that she wasn’t exactly good enough for a boy like John. From what she had heard he was gorgeous himself. But the fact that who he was on the inside was a hundred times more beautiful than who he was on the outside made her fall deeply in love.

“How do I look?”

“What?”

“Describe me.”

Autumn could hear the gulping of nerves coming from John. She immediately regretted her words. She felt her cheeks heat up. John watched her blush and he couldn’t control the feeling in the gut of his stomach. John was madly in love with her. Ever since the day he first talked to her when they were 15. And now at the tender age of 20 he wanted nothing more to have her for himself. But Autumn was better than him in every way. She was beautiful on the outside but who she was on the inside is what made his heart thump and his stomach turn. She was perfect.

“You have beautiful sun-kissed skin,” he said letting his fingertips graze over her bare arm. “And the cutest freckles across her nose,” he said moving his hand on her face. “And this cute little button nose,” he said squeezing it slightly causing her to jump out.

“Keep the squeezing to a minimal.”

He nodded his head with a chuckle. “You’re very thin, not hungry thin, but healthy,” he said wanting nothing more than to feel every curve of her body. “And you have these lips,” he said with a sigh watching her cheeks heat up even more. “They are just so perfect. Pink and moist,” he said letting his fingertip trace over. “You’re perfect,” he spoke inching closer feeling her nervous breath on his own lips.

“You’re perfect.”

“Can I try something?”

She just nodded her head feeling John’s dried up hands caress her cheeks. He sighed closing his own eyes and then letting them flutter open again. He looked her up and down.

“Can I kiss you?”

He said it in a low whisper, afraid that she would hear. Autumn felt as though it was a dream, that it was just a figment of her own imagination but she found herself still nodding her head. He leaned in ever so softly and placed his lips softly against hers.

Their lips fit perfectly together.


“Why are you sitting here alone?”

John looked up and let his eyes travel down the beautiful girl’s body. He smiled as he reached over grabbing her soft hand in his and guiding her to the park bench.

“I was just thinking.”

“About what?” she asked looking straight forward.

“Us,” he said simply.

“What about us?”

“Everything,” he said softly. “About how lucky I am to have you as my girlfriend,” he said bringing her hand to his lips placing a soft kiss. “To have you in my life,” he said watching the curves of her lips turn into a smile. “And I’m just nervous.”

“About what babe?” she asked letting her thumbs trace circles into his hand.

“About you,” he said licking his dry lips. “About the surgery,” he said watching her nod her head knowing exactly what he meant.

“Are you worried about what I will see?”

“I just don’t want you to look at me different.”

“My eyes could never look at you any other way then the way I look at you now.”

He grabbed her hand tighter. “Do you promise?”

“I promise.”
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One of two!