Blind As A Bat

The Hugging Problem Part Two

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My heart pounded as I walked to Mr. Easton's class. My first class with Dakota. I haven't seen him all day and I immediately knew that he was avoiding me but I guess he was allowed to.

I had thought a lot about him last night. He took it hard when Jonas kissed me so that must mean that he likes me a little right? I shook my head, desperately trying to get these thoughts out of my head although I knew that it won't work. I had been called out during my science period before because I wasn't focusing on the classwork.

I've never looked forward to going to math class but today I seemed to explode with excitement. I've realized that I have to try to make amends to Dakota today because after that, I don't think I would have the courage to bring it up again.

"Hey, Schuyler! Stop right there in your tracks!" James voice brought me back to reality, stopping me from almost running into a jock who's never liked me in the first place.

I froze with a pained expression on my face, readying myself for the lecture.

"Where the hell have you been?" James yelled, once he got close enough.

I sighed. "I had to leave the house early, I didn't think that you guys would be that worried."

"You had to leave the house? Did a kidnapper come in and dragged you out?" James asked sarcastically.

"No-" I started but was cut off by James.

"Do you know how worried my parents were? They questioned me for a good half an hour even though I kept telling them over and over that I had no idea where you were!" James yelled, frustrated.

"I just had to get out of the house and clear my head," I said, trying to explain myself.

"You couldn't even leave a note?"

"I didn't think it mattered that much. I thought that they would just assume that I left early for school. You do that all the time, why was it such a problem for me?" I snapped back.

"Why was it a problem?" James asked in disbelief.

"Yes! You do it all the time, why should I be treated-"

"Schuyler, you're blind! That's what's wrong!" he yelled loud enough for the whole school to hear him. I froze, trying to make sure that I heard him right.

The whole school was in a dead silence from James screech. My eyes widened in disbelief. It wasn't as if the whole school didn't know already but it felt different when it was coming from a person who I thought I could trust. My eyes started to fill up with tears. I shook my head in the direction that I thought James was, as if I was disappointed in him. I squeezed my eyes shut and turned away from him.

"Schuyler wait!" James yelled but I was already gone. I pushed my way through the crowd which parted like the red sea in seeing the state that I was in. I used the back of my hand to wipe away the couple of tears that dared to come down. I hanged my head in shame, just wishing in that one moment that I was never born so I never had to go through all the hell that the world has pressed down on me.