The Grace In Darkness (12 page)

There was a loud thud when I pushed open the door, and I gasped when I heard a groan. I couldn
’
t move. I just stood there holding the door as a shield. Hoping and praying I didn
’
t do what I thought I just did. It was a seeing person. Everyone else knew not to walk so close to the walls.

“
Please, please, please,
”
I whispered.

“
You know that actually hurts as bad as you think it would.
”

A tiny breath escaped me as I recognized his voice. Shutting the door, I moved toward his familiar shadow.

“
I
’
m so sorry, Pierce! Are you okay? Is your nose bleeding? Broken?
”
I reached out toward him.

“
If I say yes, will you kiss it better?
”

I blushed a deep red and pulled back my hand.
“
I have a feeling you
’
re just fine.
”

“
Are you as disappointed about that as I am?
”

“
If I was, it would probably be for a different reason than you think.
”

“
I told myself not to flirt with you.
”

“
I don
’
t think your self is listening.
”

“
Wouldn
’
t be the first time and probably won
’
t be the last.
”

“
Do you think your self can behave long enough to walk me to my room? I
’
m supposed to meet Makayla for lunch.
”

“
That doesn
’
t sound like an invite.
”

“
That
’
s because it wasn
’
t.
”

He laughed and we headed off in the direction of my room. It wasn
’
t far and it
’
s not like I couldn
’
t find my way without Pierce. He was a distraction from everything that was running through my head, and I welcomed it.

When we reached my room, I
’
d forgotten about most of my conversation with Dr. Rise, except for one part.

“
Thank you for walking me,
”
I said, standing in front of my door.

“
I should be thanking you.
”

“
Why?
”

“
Listen,
”
he said without answering my question. He tapped twice on the wall.
“
Maybe after the recital, when we
’
re not killing ourselves over rehearsals, the
three
of us can get dinner?
”
It was his way of saying it would just be as friends.

I thought about that one part of my conversation with Dr. Rise before I answered. If I thought I felt the butterflies before, they were full force now.

“
Or maybe the two of us can.
”

I knew I
’
d caught him off guard, and I smiled. I didn
’
t know if I was ready or could even handle this, but there was only one way to find out.

“
D
id
you see Pierce today? Oh. My. Word!
”
Makayla growled.

“
You remember this is a school for the
blind
, right?
”

Was everyone on a Pierce kick today? I wasn
’
t ready to tell Makayla anything that had happened with him yet. It would be the only thing we talked about for weeks to come.

“
Oh, blindness shmindness, Araya. Stare at Pierce Logan long enough and you will see again. He
’
s
that
gorgeous.
”

“
You think every guy is
that
gorgeous.
”
I mocked her.

“
But
I only drop panties for guys like Peirce.
”

“
Don
’
t be slutty. Don
’
t be that girl.
”

She laughed and smacked her lips at me.
“
Too late!
”

“
I refuse to believe that.
”

I rested my hands back on the bed, waiting for
Makayla to finish getting ready so we could go eat.

“
You just refuse to notice anyone!
”
She complained. Her voice was muffled as she searched through her closet.

I shifted to resting on one hand and waved my other hand back and forth across my face.
“
Again, I don
’
t think you
’
re grasping the whole blind-girl thing here.
”

I was hit in the face with a piece of clothing.

“
Yeah, that
’
s never going to get old.
”

Sarcasm had become a forte of mine within the past six months. I blamed
Mak
’
s bad influence.

Snatching the fabric off my face, I tossed it aside.
“
Doesn
’
t it go against some ethical code of yours to throw things at the seeing impaired?
”

“
Hmm
…”
She pretended to think.
“
No. Besides, I think only doctors and lawyers have ethical codes.
”

“
Only
doctors and lawyers? That
’
s kind of sad.
”

“
Yeah, well, humanity today is sad and a thing of the past. It
’
s the world we live in.
”

“
Lawyers, though?
”
I questioned doubtfully.

“
Hey! Not all lawyers are bad!

“
Isn
’
t being slimy a requirement to become a lawyer?
”

“
You bite your tongue, Araya Lynn Noelle. My uncle is a damn good lawyer.
”

“
Did you just middle-name me? How do you even know my middle name? And is your uncle slimy?
”

“
The slimiest, but that doesn
’
t distract from the fact that he
’
s still a damn good lawyer. And because you can
’
t see me, being blind and all, I
’
m winking at you.
”

I snorted.
“
Here I thought you didn
’
t listen to me.
”

“
You know I have access to your file. I know all your dark little secrets. You
’
d be surprised about the things I know about you.
”

I crossed my arms and my eyes lifted in doubt.
“
Like what?
”
I challenged.

She smashed my face between her hands.
“
I
’
m looking at you intensely right now.
”
I rolled my eyes.
“
I know you have a tramp stamp that says
‘
Dirty Girl
’
and, be still my beating heart, that
’
s when I knew you needed me as your best friend.
”

I broke into a fit of uncontrollable laughter, and she kissed my forehead with a loud smack.

“
Now get that dirty-girl ass up and let
’
s go eat. I
’
m famished.
”

“
Yeah, well, you keep letting that imagination of yours run wild and unsupervised, you pay the price.
”

I walked to the door and took my scarf and jacket from the coat hanger.

“
Hey, nobody puts Baby in the corner. Besides, what do I always say?
”

“
Limitations are life
’
s way of calling you its bitch,
”
we said in unison.

“
You do me proud, dirty girl,
”
she mimicked in a soft, sultry voice.

I groaned and wrapped the scarf around my neck.
“
Please tell me you
’
re not really going to call me that.
”

“
You wear that tramp stamp proudly,
”
she said sternly.

“
You realize I don
’
t really have a tramp stamp, right?
”

“
Why do you always have to spoil my fun?
”
She pouted.

“
Because sometimes I don
’
t think you remember what you invent and what
’
s real.
”

“
Does that scare you?
”

“
Actually, yes. Yes, it does.
”

She grabbed my shoulders, pushing me out the door, and slapped my butt.

“
Good! Oh, by the way
…
”
she said and then nudged me and placed something in my hands
.
“
This came for you.
”
When I frowned, she said,
“
Go ahead, you can read it.
”

I frowned and opened the folded notecard and my fingers moved slowly over the raised words. It took me a few minutes to finally figure out what it said.

“
Araya?
”
Makayla said, all teasing gone from her voice. She touched my arm.
“
You
’
ve gone completely, pale. What
’
s wrong? What did the note say?
”

I shook my head and shoved it into my pocket.
“
Nothing. I don
’
t know what it said.
”
I pushed her through the door, hoping her resistance would only be minimal.

As we walked toward the lunch hall, I tried to push the words
I always get what I want
out of my head.

“
So what else does my file say? Anything interesting?
”

I pulled out one of the wooden chairs at the round table
Mak and I usually ate at and sat down.

“
As badly as I wanted there to be
something
scandalous in that file of yours, I was sadly disappointed.
”

I threw a fry at her.
“
If that
’
s what you were looking for, you didn
’
t have to go searching through my file for it. According to Violet, the halls know it all.
”

“
Blah! I don
’
t listen to hallway gossip. You know that.
”

“
Were you planning on telling me what was being said?
”

“
Nope and I still don
’
t plan to.
”

“
Why not?
”

“
Because there was nothing worth repeating. Except your tattoo. That I did tell to a couple of people.
”

I laughed.
“
Thank you. You
’
re a good friend.
”

“
That doesn
’
t count when I
’
m your only friend.
”

Makayla
wasn
’
t one for mushy moments so I didn
’
t think anything about her comment. Makayla was unlike anyone I
’
d ever known before. She was sassy and funny and smart. She spoke her mind, never biting her tongue for anyone, and it was one of the biggest things I admired her for.

She was so confident in everything she did without being in your face about it. She could have any guy she wanted and she knew it, but she didn
’
t want just anyone. She wanted
the
one, so until he came along, she had fun flirting and dating.

She was assigned to me the first week I was here to show me around the campus and help me find my classes. We were only given one week. After that, we had to figure everything out on our own. There were braille signs posted outside each classroom and service polls lined around every wall so we didn
’
t get hurt. It made it easier to move around on your own.