"How do you do that?" the person asked.
Nate paused, taking out an earbud. "Do what?"
"Use your laptop? Cause, you know..."
"What?"
"Cause you can't..."
"Cause I can't see?"
"Yeah."
Nate internally groaned. Sure, this person probably didn't mean any harm by this question, but it was annoying to receive. All he wanted to do was work on his paper and not talk to someone about how technology for blind people works when they could easily google it.
"There's just a feature that voices over everything," he explained simply.
"Cool."
Nate nodded. He hoped that was the end, but unfortunately it was not.
"Can you see anything?"
Nate wanted to bury his head in his hands. This was incredibly irritating, but he could never bring himself to be rude—even if it was warranted.
"Some light," he replied.
"Hmm," they replied. "My friend's dog is blind."
"Okay?" he replied, furrowing his brows in confusion.
"How'd you get here?"
The brown-haired man grew more frustrated. If anything, he was also confused. Why did this person care so much?
"I walked," he responded—not realizing how short and irritated he sounded until after he spoke.
"Jeez dude, I was just asking-"
Suddenly, by the grace of God, a group of people called his name. Justin, who Nate had learned was the stranger, got up without saying a word as they walked to their friends. Nate couldn't help but feel put off by the uncomfortable encounter. He didn't understand why people had to ask him every question known to man. He tried to return to his work before he heard the group speak on their way out the door.
"Who was that?" someone whispered.
"Just some blind guy. He was a dick," Justin replied.
Nate's throat stung; he felt as if he wasn't acting unreasonably rude.
"Fuck him man. He won't make it in the survival of the fittest, so sucks to suck."
His stomach dropped as he heard those words. He knew that he shouldn't get upset over comments like those, but they did hurt him. Countless times—even though this was a "joke"—people had used the "survival of the fittest" argument against him throughout his life. It made him feel defeated and berated. He didn't know why it affected him so much, but they were some of the worst comments he'd ever gotten. It pained him every single time.
Amidst his feelings, he got a text.
Messages. Now. Theodore: hi!! how are you? you had that test today, right?
Nate couldn't help but smile. He was charmed and baffled that Theodore remembered when he had mentioned it the week prior and never again.
Nate: Hello : ). Yes I did. I'm okay
Nate: How are you?
Theodore: just okay? :/
The man sat there, biting his lip out of awe. He hadn't hung out with Theodore since he had gone over to his apartment, and they had barely gotten to speak. Their schedules had been conflicting as of late.
YOU ARE READING
All Our Sensitivity
Romance"Are you always going to forget I can't see?" "I don't need to remember when we're kissing." "Weirdo." Nate was born blind. That was a fact. Nate was also gay. That was a fact that came much later after his six-month relationship with his best frien...
chapter eleven - vehicular manslaughter
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