Color Blind

Chapter 11

A few days after I was released from the hospital, Tia and Aunt Rachael had a very small "family gathering" to celebrate my birthday. Looking around the room at Scott and Lafayette, Tia and Aunt Rachael, it amazed me to see how quickly the dynamics of my family had changed. It amazed me even more to see how readily I accepted Scott, who I had once considered my mortal enemy, into my new family structure.

After we had all sufficiently stuffed ourselves with the grand spaghetti dinner and ice cream cake that Aunt Rachael prepared, we went into the living room to open my presents. Tia, who was running low on funds, promised to teach me how to drive for my fifteenth birthday. Aunt Rachael also gave me a schedule of the professional driver's education course that she had sprung for in honor of my turning old enough to get a learner's permit. Lafayette handed over two poorly wrapped c.d.'s that he knew I'd wanted for a while. I was touched that he even remembered that I wanted them. The way the gifts were wrapped made us all laugh, but I knew that he had taken great care in doing it, regardless of how they looked.

Tia paid close attention when I unwrapped Scott's present and I wondered why. Slowly, a small jewelry case came into sight and when I opened it, I saw that it held a dainty gold chain with the most beautiful tiny gold cross dangling from it. Lafayette and Aunt Rachael gasped and looked at Scott in surprise. Tia grinned happily and watched with sparkling eyes as Scott helped me put it on. I figured that she must have helped him pick it out.

"It's to protect you," he said quietly, "when I'm not around."

I turned to look at him and felt tears well up in my eyes as I thought about how he had been trying to protect me practically my entire life...and how I had been trying push him away practically all of his.

"It's beautiful, Scott. Thank you." Our eyes locked for a brief moment, but I had to lower mine quickly.

After another hour or so of chit chatting and more ice cream cake, Scott stood up and stretched. "Well good people, it's time for me to go." After saying goodbye to everyone else, Scott turned to me and asked, "Rica, walk me to my car?" When we got outside, Scott bent down and gave me a long, soft kiss. "Happy birthday, beautiful." When I took a step back, he sighed. "I know you wanted to tell me something in there. What was it?"

"How did you know?"

"I could just see it on your face when you opened my gift. So... what's up?"

"I..." I took another step back, hoping that it would make it harder for him to see my expression in the darkness. "I just... I can't be with you Scott."

"Oh," he relaxed a little. "Is that all? Girl, you been telling me that since the day I met you! What else is new?" When I didn't laugh along with him, he narrowed his eyes. "You're not about to tell me that we can't be friends anymore, are you?"

Now I did laugh, remembering the scene that I had made right before the party earlier that year. "Oh no! Nothing like that... I do want to be friends with you. It's just..."

"I know, I know. That's all you want to be, right?" He sighed dramatically. "Just friends. Story of my life..."

Then he cautiously took two steps toward me, and bent down to give me anther kiss on the mouth.

"Scott," I said softly when he pulled away. "I don't think you understand..." then it dawned on me. "Do you kiss all of your friends like that?" Maybe, I thought, that's why he had so many girls running behind him.

He chuckled, as if reading my mind. "No. No...just you, Rica. That was sort of a...goodbye kiss."

"Goodbye kiss?" I exclaimed. "You mean now you don't even want to be friends with me now?"