No one ever saw me without my glasses. Even at home, they were covering my damaged eyes. I wanted to cry out. In a panic, I reached one arm out, trying to reach for the sunglasses.
“Give them back! Give them back Kurt!” I said.
He slipped them into my hand and I quickly put them back over my face, then wiped my forehead. My body broke out in a cold sweat. Kurt stood in front of me, silent.
“I’m so sorry Lia,” he said. “I just wanted to prove that you have nothing to be embarrassed about.”
I shook my head in response and zipped up my backpack, then threw it over my shoulder. I didn’t even know what I was feeling. Only the bullies like Nathan ever pulled off my sunglasses. My friends and my family knew they were off limits. Did Kurt really think he was going to cross that line after only knowing me for two days?
I sighed and grabbed onto Star, then walked down the hallway towards the exit. Kurt’s shoes followed. They were slow at first, then sped up with each step he took. I tried to force Star to move faster, but he kept up.
“Lia,” he said. “Lia, please, wait!”
"I stopped and turned to him. “Wait nothing. What the hell did you think you were doing? Nobody touches these sunglasses.” I pressed my finger into his chest. “Nobody!”
“Lia, listen.” Just when I was about to leave again, he put his hands on my shoulders. “There’s nothing wrong with your eyes.”
“You didn’t see them.”
“I got a glimpse.
“That doesn’t count.”
“Then would you let me see again?” he asked.
I sighed. “Outside.”
He ran in front of me, held the door open, and we went to the willow tree. It was a windy day. The air was getting colder. When we sat down, I reached into my coat pockets and pulled out the gloves that were stored in them at all times. I put them on my hands, growing more and more irritated as my long nails kept catching on the fabric.
“Your right one is inside-out,” Kurt said. I groaned and pulled it off, fixing each finger. “What’s got you so embarrassed about your eyes?”
“Remember that guy Nathan I told you about yesterday?”
“The one who’s family owns the Hug-a-Mug? That’s not too easy to forget.”
“You can ask him.” I brought my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around them. “He’s been picking on me since kindergarten.”
YOU ARE READING
Knowing You're There
Teen FictionLia and Kurt both struggle in school. She's blind. He has Asperger's Syndrome. The two instantly connect after meeting in the hallway and bond over their musical talents. With Kurt's family business collapsing and Lia struggling with the fate of...
