yours. Please make her feel at home here at James Underwood. I’m counting
on you. Mr. Sullivan, please be a little more careful in the future?”
“I plan on it, sir.”
He nodded and I stood, collecting my belongings. I refrained from running
down the hall to introduce myself again to Jessica. I rounded the corner and saw
Mrs. Rhodes sitting with her talking about her classes. I walked through the gate
and made my way over to them.
“Um, Mrs Rhodes?”
“Yes, Connor?”
“I just talked to Mr. Parker. He asked me to take Jessica around to
her classes….”
“Really? That’s good! Jessica, may I introduce you to Connor Sullivan?
I guess he’s going to be showing you around our wonderful school.”
“We met briefly before. Thank you, Mrs. Rhodes,” she said and gave
a dazzling smile. My heart dropped into my stomach.
She stood and I tried very hard not to notice the amount of leg visible
as she slid forward on the plastic couch that had been made decades before I was
born. Why did every piece of furniture in our school have to be green? Politely,
I kept my eyes riveted to the crack on the cushion a full seat to her left. I won’t
lie. It was more for my benefit than hers. If I hadn’t averted my eyes, walking
down the hall in a few moments would be pretty embarrassing.
“Hello again,” I said with what I hoped to be a measure of sophistication.
“Hi, yourself. Which way are we heading?” She flipped her cane with
her wrist and it went from a mass of jumbled pieces to a complete cane in a split
second. I guess she'd been blind for a while.
“Can I see your schedule?” Mrs. Rhodes handed it to me with a brief
smile before heading back behind the counter.
I glanced through it and smiled as I realized almost all of our classes
matched up. I briefly wondered if I'd been set up by Mr. Parker. The only difference
was fourth hour. I had PE and Jessica, study hall. Would they let me drop PE? I
doubted it, but it would be nice.
“Looks like we’re off to the wonderful world of algebra,” I said and
got a groan from my new partner. Guess she felt the same way I did about it.
“Joy. Lead on, MacDuff.”
“Who?”
“Never mind,” she said with a giggle sounding vaguely like music.
“Um, I’ve never done this before. Would it be easier for you to hold
on to my arm or do you want to walk and I’ll just tell you about stairs and stuff?”
“Ooh, a handicapped virgin. This is always fun.” She didn’t sound bitter,
more like teasing. I wondered how many “virgins” she had to deal with. “Since it’s
the first day and I have absolutely no idea as to how this place is laid out, would
you mind if I hang on to your arm?”
“Not at all,” I said with minimal cracking in my voice. The thought
of actually touching Jessica sent my heart into overdrive. I could practically hear
it in my ears.
I held my arm out to her and waited. It took me about a minute to realize
she couldn’t see it. I reached down with my right hand and gently grabbed hers to
pull it on top of my waiting arm.
As soon as my fingertips touched her skin, my heart went from fast
to threatening to jump out of my chest and run a marathon. There weren’t any sparks
of electricity like you see in the movies, rather a quiet feeling of power, belonging,
home, safety, and chocolate. I didn’t want to let go. Ever.
I heard Jessica give a little gasp and I hoped it meant she felt it
too. I pulled her hand closer to me and spread her fingers over my wrist to let
her know I would guide her. She closed her fingers on my wrist and I concentrated
very hard on the linoleum floor beneath me, the sunlight coming through the window,
and the smells surrounding us. Anything to take my mind off the feeling of her hand
on my arm. I took one small step forward to let her know which way we were going
and she took a step to match mine.
“How far is our first class?”
“Not far, just up the stairs and to the left. Mr. Johnson is our
on you. Mr. Sullivan, please be a little more careful in the future?”
“I plan on it, sir.”
He nodded and I stood, collecting my belongings. I refrained from running
down the hall to introduce myself again to Jessica. I rounded the corner and saw
Mrs. Rhodes sitting with her talking about her classes. I walked through the gate
and made my way over to them.
“Um, Mrs Rhodes?”
“Yes, Connor?”
“I just talked to Mr. Parker. He asked me to take Jessica around to
her classes….”
“Really? That’s good! Jessica, may I introduce you to Connor Sullivan?
I guess he’s going to be showing you around our wonderful school.”
“We met briefly before. Thank you, Mrs. Rhodes,” she said and gave
a dazzling smile. My heart dropped into my stomach.
She stood and I tried very hard not to notice the amount of leg visible
as she slid forward on the plastic couch that had been made decades before I was
born. Why did every piece of furniture in our school have to be green? Politely,
I kept my eyes riveted to the crack on the cushion a full seat to her left. I won’t
lie. It was more for my benefit than hers. If I hadn’t averted my eyes, walking
down the hall in a few moments would be pretty embarrassing.
“Hello again,” I said with what I hoped to be a measure of sophistication.
“Hi, yourself. Which way are we heading?” She flipped her cane with
her wrist and it went from a mass of jumbled pieces to a complete cane in a split
second. I guess she'd been blind for a while.
“Can I see your schedule?” Mrs. Rhodes handed it to me with a brief
smile before heading back behind the counter.
I glanced through it and smiled as I realized almost all of our classes
matched up. I briefly wondered if I'd been set up by Mr. Parker. The only difference
was fourth hour. I had PE and Jessica, study hall. Would they let me drop PE? I
doubted it, but it would be nice.
“Looks like we’re off to the wonderful world of algebra,” I said and
got a groan from my new partner. Guess she felt the same way I did about it.
“Joy. Lead on, MacDuff.”
“Who?”
“Never mind,” she said with a giggle sounding vaguely like music.
“Um, I’ve never done this before. Would it be easier for you to hold
on to my arm or do you want to walk and I’ll just tell you about stairs and stuff?”
“Ooh, a handicapped virgin. This is always fun.” She didn’t sound bitter,
more like teasing. I wondered how many “virgins” she had to deal with. “Since it’s
the first day and I have absolutely no idea as to how this place is laid out, would
you mind if I hang on to your arm?”
“Not at all,” I said with minimal cracking in my voice. The thought
of actually touching Jessica sent my heart into overdrive. I could practically hear
it in my ears.
I held my arm out to her and waited. It took me about a minute to realize
she couldn’t see it. I reached down with my right hand and gently grabbed hers to
pull it on top of my waiting arm.
As soon as my fingertips touched her skin, my heart went from fast
to threatening to jump out of my chest and run a marathon. There weren’t any sparks
of electricity like you see in the movies, rather a quiet feeling of power, belonging,
home, safety, and chocolate. I didn’t want to let go. Ever.
I heard Jessica give a little gasp and I hoped it meant she felt it
too. I pulled her hand closer to me and spread her fingers over my wrist to let
her know I would guide her. She closed her fingers on my wrist and I concentrated
very hard on the linoleum floor beneath me, the sunlight coming through the window,
and the smells surrounding us. Anything to take my mind off the feeling of her hand
on my arm. I took one small step forward to let her know which way we were going
and she took a step to match mine.
“How far is our first class?”
“Not far, just up the stairs and to the left. Mr. Johnson is our
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