VISUALS © 2015
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[vii]
ANOTHER ONE
They exchanged phone numbers. Jack laughed at the total of four whole contacts Cameron had and Cameron laughed at Jack's number which was less and in their content they separated on a promise to meet again, the details of which were unclear.
Though his outing was already deemed a success, he ventured off to the other side of the town, hand in leash with his excited dog, with the plan to bathe in victory music as his reward.
The shop was quiet. The sweet jingle of the small bell on the door interrupted the soft jazz playing in the background, as Cameron stepped.
"Sorry, no dogs are allowed in here."
He remembered that voice, wondering how he could forget. He apologised, stepping back out and tying Vincent's leash around a nearby pole. In disappointment, the dog whimpered, placing his paws on the boy's shoulders almost in plea.
"Sorry boy, but you heard the girl, right?"
He stood, entering the shop alone, once again hearing the familiar jingle above his head. He couldn't have brought Vincent in, he was a guide dog after all, but Cameron had decided to feign his normalcy a little further and pretend.
"Oh, it's you again. Hello."
He smiled and lifted a hand like a normal person, walking towards the aisle.
"I didn't get to tell you last time." He said, like a normal person, "But I really liked that album you recommend. I couldn't get the third song- Halcyon Years- out of my head."
"Really? That's good, First Time is my favourite song."
"Oh, that one was cool too, it kind sound like waves on a beach."
"You know it actually was! I read somewhere that they went to their favourite beach, recorded the waves and built the song and lyrics from there."
There was a short laugh, louder- closer- than her voice before. She sounded out of breath- wistful almost.
"Do you perhaps, have another album-?" He asked, moving his feet around and tangling his fingers together, "-to recommend, I mean."
"Sure,"
"And can I buy the other CD, too- please?"
"Of course."
About an hour or so later, when their headphones had seemed to permanently form around their ears and the soft low bass of great song thumped in their chests, Cameron smiled, as large as a blind boy could and the action had seemed to create a permanent stamp on the beginning of their friendship.
"My name is Kira, by the way. I thought you deserve to know at this point."
"I'm Cameron... umm, that's it."
She laughed, probably the hundredth time at that point, but yet again, it brought a low, yet comforting, rumble deep at the back of his stomach.
"Is your dog alright? It seems kind of lonely out there."
He felt a tinge of guilt. Vincent could have been enjoying the warmth too if he just fessed up. Cameron was blind. It wasn't a secret, it was a fact.
"Actually-"
"I wasn't going to ask, but..."
"But what?"
"Are you- are you blind or something?"
"How-?"
"You're wearing sunglasses inside which is weird but can be understandable, you have a Labrador which is like the universal guide dog breed and... and I had to tell you my name, but I'm wearing a name tag. I'm sorry if it's rude of me-"
"It's fine." He said, finally realising his act of pretence was a stupid idea anyway. Cameron couldn't feign not being blind because of one reason: he was blind, and it would've been very hard to keep the act up forever anyway.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I was just being stupid. Are guide dogs allowed in here then?"
"Yes."
"Then wait a second, I'm going to get Vincent."
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rewritten
A/N; I changed her name! Tiana felt (no offence if that's your name) too generic for her character. It is a good, name don't get me wrong, but to me, it didn't fit her personality at all.
Actually, I got the name from swimmingly 's book: The Undoing of Kira Nakata, which is a brilliant masterpiece that you should definitely go and read.