Sightless

Alex slipped into his seat just as the bell rang and let out a little sigh. He had left his books in Mr. Johnson’s class yesterday and had to retrieve them from the office. He also had to stay silent while Rodney made up a reason why Alex had skipped out early. It wasn’t that hard though, Rodney was a convincing liar, and all Alex had to do was nod.
Angela leaned closer to Alex, breaking him out of his thoughts, and whispered, “I almost thought you weren’t coming. I didn’t see you in the cafeteria yesterday so I thought you were sick.”
Alex in no way shape or form was going to tell Angela what really happened so he went with Rodney’s lie. “Family emergency,” he whispered keeping it short and sweet. It wasn’t a total lie, his mother really was one some mystery emergency trip.
“Oh, is everything okay?” Angela questioned, she wasn’t really all that concerned about Alex’s family, but she did love hearing gossip and the fact that it was coming from Alex was ten times better.
“I don’t know, yet.” Alex replied. Rodney had told him the key to lying was to keep it simple.
Thankfully Alex didn’t have to keep the charade up any longer because Mrs. Hayden bustled through the door calling the class to order. “Put away your books and take out your pencils, class, make sure they are pencils because this is a scantron quiz.”
The class let out a collective groan, save Alex. He was prepared; he just hoped he could focus long enough to answer the questions. His mind just kept flashing back to the previous twenty-four hours and he was shocked that everything that had happened to him had taken place in such a short period of time.
This time yesterday he was still thinking about his almost kiss with Casey, now that was the furthest thing from his mind. He also thought about how Rodney had taken him to that God-awful place and told him about his family. It all seemed surreal to Alex, but what was even more dominate on Alex’s overwhelmed mind was this morning, how his father had acted. Alex had never seen his father drunk, and he most certainly had never known his father to behave that way, his father never got angry. Something wasn’t right with his parents; Alex just couldn’t put his finger on it. He had the nagging suspicion that he knew last night, but his thoughts from last night were foggy, he just remembered what Rodney had said clearly.
Alex was snapped out of his thoughts when the quiz was dropped on his desk. He started to tell Mrs. Hayden that he couldn’t read a flat sheet of paper, but he felt a presence beside him. He tilted his head up in expectation.
“Alex, can you bring your paper and come with me,” Mrs. Hayden requested somewhat quietly.
Alex nodded and did as he was told. Mrs. Hayden let him over to her desk and encouraged Alex to take the seat that was always by her desk, before taking her seat.
“Okay, Alex, I’m going to give you this quiz orally and I’ll mark down your answers,” Mrs. H explained, again keeping her tone somewhat low.
Alex just nodded and waited for the first question. At least this way Alex could focus on what he was doing.

After the quiz Alex was sent back to his usual seat to read until the end of the period. Thankfully, it went by gruelingly slow, so he could prepare himself for Biology 2. When the bell rang he took his good old sweet time walking and talking with Angela, even if he did want to hit her as much as she hit his arm. It was still better than what was waiting for him in class.
Alex said goodbye to Angela and walked through the doorway just as the bell rang. He started counting out his steps thinking about how close he had cut it two periods in a row when he could tell that someone was in his way. An automatic gasp escaped through his lips, as his mind went one place and one place only. Casey was going to confront him over what happened yesterday.
“Mr. Cruz, just in time. Mr. Toler couldn’t make it today and neither could Jaren, so it looks like you and Monica will be partners for today’s field trip.”
Alex’s whole body relaxed when he realized it was just Mr. Johnson. “Oh, good. I forgot about this trip entirely,” Alex admitted, and who could blame him with all that had happened.
He was glad to be getting out of the school. If only he could convince Rodney to take him home after they were done collecting specimens, but he knew that would never happen.
“I can see that, you forgot to leave your book behind. No bother, I can drop them off in the cafeteria for you and you can retrieve them when we come back,” Mr. Johnson said pausing with his arms out stretched. Alex gave an embarrassed look of gratitude and handed his books over, struggling at first to locate Mr. Johnson’s hands. Then to the class Mr. Johnson instructed, “Alright class, I have to make a pit stop, but you all can head on down to the pond. I’ll be there shortly so don’t start without me.”
Alex hesitantly followed the heard, and felt lost without Casey there guiding him through the halls. But that only made Alex feel worse. He hated how dependent he had become on one person. Well, technically he was starting to become dependent on Rodney, but as far as Alex could tell that wasn’t a problem, yet.
“Hi, Alex, I’m Monica,” a girl with a shrill voice, he recognized from class but never had a name for, said from beside him.
He nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard her speak. He had been stuck up in his own head and hadn’t really been aware of much more than not stumbling on the gravel beneath his feet. “Hi, nice to meet you, Monica.”
“I feel rude for never introducing myself before, but Jaren wouldn’t let me. He’s so jealous. I make one comment about how hot you are and he jumped all over me. He’s such an a**,” the girl babbled.

Alex didn’t really know what to do with that information. Why did everyone seem to think he was so hot? He just didn’t understand it. Ever since he had got to that school people had been calling him that- and now this girl had gone on about him enough to make her boyfriend jealous. It was bizarre.

“You’re really quiet. Did I scare you already? Jaren says it takes at least five minutes and it’s only been two.”

Alex scratched his neck and flipped his hair out of his face, thinking of a polite reply. “Sorry, I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”

“Like why your boyfriend isn’t here? I heard you two went to the auditorium to fool around. The substitute didn’t even notice you were gone, but your name got called over the intercom after lunch and I figured you got caught or was in trouble or something,” Monica babbled all at once, about a mile a minute.

Alex could feel his face pale and suddenly he felt light headed as well. He thought rumors were made up, only a work of fiction, but apparently they weren’t. There was already some going on about him and Casey and it had only happened one day ago.

Monica interpreted Alex’s reaction differently and began backtracking. “Oh, s***, do people not know that you and Toler are a thing? I think they’ll be cool with it. I mean bi guys are supposed to be hot, right? Or are you pan, because technically you don’t date people for their looks because you’re blind. Anyway, I haven’t said anything to anyone but you, but Terry and Casadee sure have.

There was so much information for Alex to process in that stream of conscious dump Monica unloaded on him that his mind only snagged one thing and he blurted, “Pan? What’s pan?”

Monica’s jaw went slack. “You don’t know what pan means,” she paused and Alex shook his head. “Pansexual means you like someone based on their personality instead of looks, gender, or religion. I thought for sure you would know what that means.”

Monica’s word of the day lesson gave Alex’s brain enough time to play catch up and he could finally comment on what all she had said. He decided on taking the defensive route. “Casadee and Terry are big mouthed liars. Casey and I are not a thing. We aren’t even friends. He’s a jerk.”

After that Monica kept quiet, if that was even possible, and only talked when necessary for the field activity they were working on together. Alex wasn’t much help, but he was required to be there and held the specimen collection containers.

Alex was overjoyed when Mr. Johnson announced that it was time for lunch. Monica left Alex to find his own way in, which wasn’t that hard because he could hear the other students clomping along. He made sure to count his steps this time on the off chance that the class would come back.

Alex only made it to the mouth of the cafeteria before a familiar hand snaked around his waist. “Hey, Ally Cat, how are you doing?”

Subconsciously, Alex leaned into Rodney’s touch, feeling comfort there instead of the icy cool electricity he felt when a certain other someone touched him. It was just the thing he needed to calm him down after the rough period he had just had.

“I’ve had better days. But at least he’s not here,” Alex replied honestly. It felt like it was the first time he had gotten to be honest since he was at school.

Rodney rubbed Alex’s arm. “Yeah, I talked to Erickson earlier and he said that the dumb b****** had to go to the hospital for his nose,” he couldn’t hide the distain in his voice or the chuckle.

“I wish you would’ve broken more than that,” Alex snapped, surprised by his unusual wish for violence. On the one hand he didn’t want anything to happen to Casey, but on the other hand he wanted Rodney to beat the living day lights out of him.

“Ally Cat, you’re becoming more like me than you realize,” Rodney mused and then proposed, “Do you want to eat in the library so we don’t have to be around all these people?”

Alex knew that Rodney wasn’t wrong, he was made aware of his metamorphosis for the umpteenth time since the move, but he chose not to comment on it. “We can do that?” he asked instead.

Rodney chuckled. “Yeah, we can do that. Hang tight and I’ll get our lunches, oaky?”

“Okay,” Alex agreed hesitantly. Rodney left anyway and Alex stood there by himself, arms crossed over his chest, feeling exposed.

“Don’t think that we didn’t see you sneak into the auditorium with Casey yesterday. That’s disgusting. How long have you known him? I hope you know he only wants you for that and that only,” Terry sneered bumping into Alex so hard it nearly knocked him flat on his butt.

“Yeah, slut much. He probably won’t even talk to you when he comes back,” Casadee chimed in.

“Back the f*** off,” Rodney thundered.

Terry and Casadee wheeled around and snorted in unison. “Look we were just informing the little man slut that we caught him sneaking around with Casey yesterday. And trust us it won’t last,” Casadee cackled.

“For your information,” Rodney started.

Alex who had remained silent since being knocked off balance finally had to speak up. He couldn’t let Rodney tell them. “Oh, God, please, no,” he whimpered.

But it was too late. “Alex didn’t do anything with Casey. He was tricked into there. Casey was trying to take advantage of Alex, but I got there before the d***head could really do anything. Casey may be my best friend, but he’s not the great misunderstood-bad boy you all think he is. He is a selfish a**hole who only thinks of himself ever since his mom died. I’ve only put up with him this long because I knew who he used to be and I felt bad for him. But I’m done with him now. Now that he has really showed his ugly self.”

Rodney was really shaking, Alex knew because he was hiding his face in Rodney’s back due to the embarrassment of his dirty laundry being aired and in fear because of how hateful Rodney had gotten.

“Well, s***,” Terry mumbled, at a loss for words.

Casadee just stomped away.

“Yeah, that’s what I f****** thought,” Rodney growled causing Terry to nearly trip over herself to follow Casadee.

Rodney turned to face Alex. “I’m so sorry about that, Ally Cat. I hate that b***,” the older boy apologized hugging Alex to him in a sort of half hug because of the food trays he had in his hands.

Alex swallowed and tipped his head up so that his mouth wouldn’t be muffled in Rodney’s chest and asked, “Why’d you have to tell them?” He felt bad that he had pretty much single handedly ruined Rodney’s relationship with his best friend, but he just couldn’t believe that Rodney would tell the two biggest mouth girls in the whole school what Casey had tried, and almost succeeded, to do
.
Rodney’s face paled with the realization of what he had just done. “I’m so sorry, Alex.”

Alex rested his head on Rodney’s chest, he knew that Rodney had seriously not meant to do that- he could hear the sincerity in his voice and the fact that Rodney called him Alex instiead of Ally Cat, but that doesn’t change the fact that the whole school was going to know what happened to him by tomorrow.