**A Romance, Teen Fiction, and YA Featured Novel**
Worlds collide when a formerly overweight teen befriends a blinded football player and is forced to confront her growing feelings for the boy who lost it all.
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Tay Statin had always thought a per...
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Waking up to Jackson jumping on my bed isn't the best start to my Thursday off of school, but who am I to complain? At least he isn't barging in yelling like Travis would have. He flaps something in my face, and I swat him away.
I sit up, taking the object from him. The surface is dry against my fingers, and a lip on the back leads me to believe it's an envelope. My fingers slide over gems on the front, and I can easily feel the letters T A Y. The thought put into the gesture makes my heart swell.
"What -"
"Hush and just open it." The words come out in a rush like he's excited.
When I open it, it dawns on me that I can't read whatever is in it. Whoever came up with this apparently didn't think this through. It's a good thing they sent Jackson, then.
I'm about to hand the paper to Jackson when my fingers brush over small bumps in the parchment. Braille? As my fingertips brush over the dimpled paper, the familiar symbols click in my mind. I didn't tell anyone that I was learning it other than Emori.
Stupid. You should have realized it was Emori from the start.
"You were never one for romantic things, but you're going to suffer through it today. Sorry, not sorry." I laugh and read on, "Go to the place where it all started. When you thought you lost everything."
What? Where I lost everything? The only place I've ever lost anything is the football fields where I lost games.
Oh, wait.
"Jackson, help me." I reach out for his arm and grasp it as I stand up. I don't bother changing as I fumble down the steps and out the door in my sweats and baggy t-shirt.
The intersection where the crash happened isn't far from my house. Going back to it will bring on emotions I've tried hard to bury, but I'm confident this is where Emori wants me to go. Where else did I lose something big?
"Do you see anything?" I nudge Jackson when we reach the intersection. I'm not sure what he will be looking for, but if either of us is going to find something, it will probably be him. Meanwhile, I'll be trying not to break down.
"Uh..." Jackson disappears from my side, and I feel completely exposed. The memories of what happened here hit me like a flash flood. I remember the headlights shining through the driver's side of the window just before a vehicle collided with ours. Going in and out of consciousness and seeing my brother's lively hazel eyes turn dull and listless. All of it smashes into me.
"Jackson?" I stumble forward, arms searching for my friend. I can't stand being alone at this place.
"I'm just... Found it!" He comes back and hands me what I assume is a ribbon. Something tugs on the end of the ribbon, and I pull it closer to me. I take a deep breath and run my shaking hands over the object.
"Is that a balloon?" What in the world am I supposed to do with a balloon?
