Chapter One: Blind as a Bat

I traced my fingers over the words, the ink stood out on the page. The small, black words stood out in my mind. I had no idea what the teacher looked like, no idea what the person next to me looked like, and I didn't know what my face looked like anymore.

Something hit my back; I whirred around, as a chorus of laughter issued from all around me.

"Students, stop it," the laughter continued, "Students, I said stop," still laughing, "STUDENTS I SAID STOP!" a loud smack issued from the front of the room, dead silent. I knew everyone was probably staring open-mouthed at the small Mrs. White, or at least I guessed she was small. The sound her shoes made on the floor, and the sound of her voice made her seem like a small-built woman, probably with grey hair swept up in to some, short hairstyle. I'm guessing she's about sixty-ish so you can imagine the surprise when you see a teacher small and usually very nice, yell.

But what was that loud smack? I didn't want to ask anyone, it would make me even more vulnerable, and so I turned around, back straight, and clutched the bottom of the chair until my fingers turned white.

I pushed the small button on the tape recorder and sat it on my desk as to gather all of Mrs. White's information about the Black Death; I was so interested in medieval times. Not the wars, but the lords and their wives and how they could betray their family so easily. I stared at the book she was reading from, the words formed in my mind even though they probably didn't look as they did in my head.

The bell rang and I fumbled around, trying to gather up my stuff. Standing up, I leaned heavily on my desk and forced myself to put one foot in front of the other, even though I knew I'd probably trip.

"Move bitch!" some husky voice yelled at me as I stood in the hallway a few minutes later, I was pressed against about six people who were pressed against some other strangers.

A hard hand pressed against my back and pushed me to the ground, I tried to push myself up off the ground, only to have my back stepped on and be sent to the ground, again.

Sometimes I feel like the ground and I am the perfect couple, since I'm found kissing it about seven times a day.

Laughter, this is something I hear constantly. Laughter is my taunting, this school my prison. What did I do to deserve this? Well, I don't know.

I stayed on the ground, I'd just be stepped on again, besides I don't need to move anymore until I can remember what stair well I was by. No idea, my mind is blank, which means I'm lost. Great, just great.

"April! What are you doing on the ground? Oh God, I can't believe some people can sleep at night knowing they do things like this to people," Rae's voice echoed by my face, she was close. I felt her hand clasp mine as she pulled me up and brushed wisps of hair from my face.

Rae was like a Barbie doll, except with beautiful brunette hair. Yes, brunettes will rule the world, mwahahamwahhamwahahaha! Okay, so maybe I didn't have brunette hair, but Rae is the sweetest person I know and if she's brunette, then I like brunettes better then blondes. That's just the way it went, especially since it never really mattered since I can't see how people look anyway.

In case you haven't guessed, I'm blind. And this high school is my nightmare that I force myself through.

"Are you okay?" Rae asked suspiciously, everyone loved Rae, she was kind and sweet and innocent when you get to know her. But most people knew her as an extreme bitch, one of the most popular girls in school, people were nice to me around her but away from her I was treated like shit. But then what can you expect? I'm a poor little defenseless blind girl.

"April, cheer up, prom's in a week!" Rae grinned after a few minutes.

"How can I cheer up over that? I won't be able to admire how I look since I don't know how I look, no one will want to go with me because I'm blind, the one everyone hits. Oh and then, even if I go, people will probably just shove me and drop punch down my shirt. So, no, prom will not cheer me up," my words were cold, but then everyone was cold to me, they'd turned my life into a walking nightmare.

My mother was unaware of how much I hated my high school and I loved her too much to complain. My mother had to move from a medium-sized house near her family to a tiny house in a trashy neighborhood to take me to this school. It was one of the best in the state and my mother wanted the best for me.

Besides, I did get an amazing education here, along with really good grades. Grades, that's all that matters, I'll get in to college and get an amazing job to where I'm so filthy rich I can retire when I'm thirty and pay to get my eyes fixed.

My goal in life is right there: to see again.

"April, come on you know keeping yourself locked up like you do stops everyone from really getting know you, if they knew you, they'd love you, trust me." Lies, lies, lies.

"Rae, don't you get it? I'm blind! I can't see, I'm not normal! People are scared of what isn't normal so they treat them like shit. There's people that are treated like shit by other people, or people that are only treated like shit by themselves. I'm treated like shit by other people."

"Stop it, it's too close to prom. Just think, two more years of this and we're going to be in the real world!" I could hear Rae sigh as she lead me down to my locker, where I twirled my combination, counting how many seconds it took to get to each number.

"Oh…..my…..God," Rae breathed, what now? Another extremely "hot, sweet" guy who will just screw her and then dump her? Please not one of those, I love Rae but I get tired of constantly picking up the pieces the guys leave behind.

"What?"

"I think I just fell in love!" Rae squealed, oh great, how long will this last? A week?

"Have you forgotten I'm blind, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Hey, April, how's the world treating you my lush dumpling?" Derek, the gayest, sweetest guy on earth. Derek was just Derek.

"Like shit, but you always make up for it," I grinned as Derek kissed my cheek, wrapping his arm around my waist and hugging me close.

Derek let go and I groped around for my granola bar until I laid my hands on it. No, this wasn't my granola bar, not at all.

I screamed.

Laughter, I began shaking violently and I felt Derek's arms go around me, they'd taken my food and replaced it with what I believed to be a cockroach.

I just couldn't take it anymore, all the yelling, pushing, everything. I began to cry, more laughter. Derek held me close, I closed my eyes tightly, even though I couldn't as see anything anyway.

"No more, no more!" I began to scream laughter was something that haunted me every night in my dreams.

"Stop it! Stop it, God damn it, why won't you stop it?!" I heard Rae scream, but nothing would stop them. I'd be tormented for the rest of my life, I couldn't bear that, I'd dealt with three years of not being able to see and already I hated it.

"You're going to boarding school," I couldn't see my mother, but I knew she was staring across to the passenger's seat where I sat. Her red hair was cut short and up in a bun, loose strands of curls hanging down. How did I know? Because this is how her hair was every day, loose bun, cut hair. The same style it was the day I lost my sight. I don't know why she keeps her hair like this, maybe she wishes she could go back to that day and do things differently.

I grinned ecstatically as my Bennie linked arms with me. I was thirteen and really, I had everything. Well, okay, maybe not everything, but everything I wanted.

Friends, looks, family, grades, that was everything I was concerned about. Bennie was one of the funniest girls I've ever known. If not the worse, drugs and alcohol, those seems to be her hobbies.

For months now, I'd been noticing my vision had been clogging. I'd told my mother but she'd just shrugged it off, saying I probably just had something stuck in it and to run it under water.

"April, why are you constantly rubbing your eyes, God damn it, does someone need to tape your hands to your sides?" I heard Bennie laugh.

"Shut….." black, totally black. I could hear my heart beating rapidly, I felt like I was falling through a black abyss. There was nothing around me, just black the sidewalk that had been under my feet was gone. I began shaking, I didn't even know if I was still on the sidewalk, where was Bennie, where was I?

Falling then a thud.

"April, can you see how many fingers I'm holding up?" an unusual voice pierced the darkness, but it didn't bring the light.

I couldn't find my voice, it had never failed me before, but now I couldn't form the words I wanted to say, I could barely think straight with this suffocating darkness, so intoxicating, filling everyone corner of my mind and drowning me in its wrath. I felt alone.

"April! Can you see anything?"" the voice again. Who is it? Where is Bennie?

A choked sob.

"Mrs. Thompson? Your daughter is suffering from glaucoma," the voice said. Mother? Was my mother here? Where was she?

"What's that Dr. Shultz?" my mother's voice, I'd know the comforting voice anywhere.

"A fluid in April's eyes haven't been draining properly, putting pressure within the eye. It looks as if it's been building up for a long time, I'm guessing she had no idea what was coming, and it probably didn't bother her, correct?" the voice again.

"Well um….She had been complaining about her eyes bothering, but not anything about her sight," I could picture my mother biting her fake nails nervously, the first piece of light in the darkness.

I'd spent months figuring out that if you kept picturing your surroundings you'd never have to deal with the suffocated darkness. I'd memorized my house, the way to school, and all around school. I'd become completely self-sufficient. But then, that wasn't unexpected; I'd never let anyone do anything for me anyway.

After a few weeks, I knew I could never live in England again, nothing was the same and I couldn't deal with my friends saying, "It doesn't matter that you're blind, you are still the same person." The thing is, I wasn't the same person, I was stuck in the darkness while everyone else dwelled in the light.

My mother moved us from the comfort of England into the United States, and it was love at first sight, well not exactly but something close to it. But the school in the US was worse then her school in England. Except for Rae being there. Rae and Derek were her only two friends, the rest of the school is against me for no reason what so ever.

"WHAT?" I asked as the news settled in, boarding school? No! I'd have to sleep at my prison, no freedom. Being watched 24/7, though there's not much a blind person can do wrong, but….but BOARDING SCHOOL?!

"The principal called and told me about your little "emotional breakdown" and how you couldn't stop crying after an hour had passed. He also said that you kicked him in the ummmm…penis when he tried to help you in his office. I think a change of scenery will do you good, you can go for a year and then come back if you like. But I think starting over will help you not have so many problems at school. And it's in England, I know you've always loved it there. Besides it's a really expensive school, huge and beautiful and it's supposed to be a very good school as well. You'll do fine, I know you always love a challenge," my mother had a peppy, know-it-all tone, I'm the boss that I despised, I mean utterly despised.

My mom parked the car, "We're home!" she said gaily, I'd already guessed we were home since it takes six hundred seconds to get from the school to my house, I'd counted.

Boarding school.

"WHAT? YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" Rae screamed in my ear, what the hell is her problem? I may be blind but I'm not deaf.

"Yeah, you heard me, boarding school. Not only am I expected to go to this school, which will soon become my prison no doubt, I'll have to live there. I don't know how I'm going to survive without you two! God this sucks, I don't even know what my mom is thinking!"

"This really does suck, I'll miss my lush little dumpling," I heard Derek say.

We were sitting together at our little table in the cafeteria, I'd been avoiding telling them but now was a better time then ever. At least I couldn't see their faces, but I could imagine them. Rae was a guy's dream, her hair was cut short at her shoulder blades but it was straight and extremely shiny, judging by the shampoo she used. She had sparkling blue eyes, which always made her look like she was crying, making her seem even more beautiful, a curvy body and shapely legs, a mini-skirt with heels and still she was shorter than most guys. She probably had her eyebrows knitted together in frustration and her lips pursed, but she still probably looked simply…..oh…breath taking!

Or that's what I'd gathered over the years, even Rae's expressions, I didn't want to be in the dark and I wanted the light to be somewhat factual.

I didn't bother trying to picture myself because I never had been very gorgeous, okay, so yes some guys had thought I was gorgeous, but never as gorgeous as Rae, if I tried to picture myself I'd probably be disappointed.

Derek on the other hand, had short spiky black hair(which he had died thank you very much) he usually ended up wearing black pants, a bright pink top with a label like "real men wear pink" or something of that nature, and a spiky dog collar around his neck, not to mention the tons of weird black, I want to call them, "bracelets" around his wrists. Oh, and we mustn't forget the eyebrow piercing, three earrings on the right, and black eyeliner he always wore.

Not exactly the gay type, but yes, unfortunately he was gay. If he wasn't I would've already claimed him as my own.

Alas, the fates were not with me, they were against me, as always.

"As I'll miss you trying to get me into bed with your sweet-talk," I kissed Derek' cheek, "But I'll miss you more, for who shall be my knight in shining armor once I move?"

"You will find someone to be your Romeo and soon forget about me," I could see Derek grinning, though his eyes were probably filled with concern.

"April, just promise me, you'll take care of yourself, Derek and I won't be there to support you with whatever you need. Make the right choices and the right friends. Make sure they won't take advantage of you, and if they do, just use some of the tie-kwon-doe moves I taught you, okay?" Rae sounded like my mom, I'd always known she'd be the motherly type, but not to me.

I could just feel the intensity of her stare, I could just see the concern in her eyes, I could almost hear the sound of her thoughts racing through her head. My light mood faltered.

"I promise, Rae, and Derek, I promise I'll take care of myself, and I promise I'll come back one day, and I promise I'll call you ever night," I exaggerated the word "every" I wanted them to know I was serious.

"God damn it, I promised I wouldn't cry!" I heard Derek sniffle, Rae and Derek hugged me tightly, it was a Friday, and this might be our last proper conversation, Mother had already packed most of my stuff and I was going to board the plane tomorrow….England, I hadn't been there in three years, would I still look at it as my home, my sanctuary? Only time will tell.

"April! Hurry up! We're going to be late!" my mother yelled from the kitchen, I don't see why she had to yell, my room is right next to the kitchen. People seem to forget I'm blind not deaf. I could hear my mother mumble, "God damn it, she can't see, why does it take so long for her to get dressed?" I'd made sure my favorite set of jeans and top were not packed so I could wear them today. Tight jeans, faded and cut in many places along with a cute, frilly black cami. Over this I put a jacket from Pac Sun on, I'd never have the courage to wear the top it concealed in public, I get enough stares because I'm blind, I don't need to draw anymore unwanted attention.

I slipped flip flops on my feet, shoved my make up in my purse, and zipped my toothbrush and toothpaste and facial soap in to my bag. Slinging my purse over my shoulder I dragged my last(and lightest) bag out of my room.

"I only spent thirty minutes getting ready! Stop complaining," I said to my mother for I knew she was leaning on the counter staring at me in a very impatient, un-lady like manner.

"Well I want to get there thirty minutes early, no telling how hectic the traffic is," my mother sighed, she was probably brushing a lock of red hair out of her face, at this point in time she probably would've taken my bag from me. But my mother was wise enough I probably would've gotten very mad saying just because I'm blind doesn't mean I can't do things myself. In which she'd reply even people who can see ask for help sometimes, you may have already guessed this, but I'll say it anyway for the not so bright ones, my mother and I had this conversation daily.

But even if we did fight, I loved my mom to death and she loved me.

"So I'm guessing it's three in the morning?" I asked as we headed out the door.

"No, three fifteen last time I checked, "The car's right by the door in case you didn't know," she added.

"Yeah, I know."

"BOO!" I heard a loud scream and I heard a loud popping sound, followed by a feeling of tissue paper brushing my cheek, confetti, Rae and Derek.

"Ya'll are really bad at surprises, you know," I laughed, hugging Rae.

"What I don't get one?" was Derek's response to the show of affection.

"Of course," I dropped my bag and Derek hugged me, my feet lifting off the ground as he spun me around.

"What are you guys doing here, it's three in the morning! Rae shouldn't you be out partying and Derek…..I don't even want to know what you do at three in the morning," I said with mock disgust.

"I go see my lush little dumpling off to the airport. Oh they grow up so fast," Derek sniffed.

"Shut up Derek, I had to drag you here," Rae commented, I could see her arms crossed in a motherly type way.

"After I pulled you off of some random guy!" exclaimed Derek, he sounded hurt, but I could tell he was grinning like the sexy beast he is on the inside.

"Ok well I got to hurry up and go or my mother's going to throw a fit," I raised my eyebrows with a devilish look on my face.

"Well we're coming with you," Derek replied before scooping me off my feet and holding me like a baby as he carried me to the car and sat me down inside.

"We're going to see you off so you won't forgot about us so easily among all the hot guys!" Rae exclaimed as she climbed in next to me.

"I'll get you for that!" Rae yelled at me as I ran through the airport, not a good idea since there might be people in front of me, but who's at an airport at four in the morning? Okay, so I am, but that doesn't count.

I just had been getting a cupcake out of a vending machine, I know what you're thinking, who puts cupcakes in a vending machine? That wasn't it, was it? Well anyway, I got tired of eating the cupcake even though I'd been starving a second before, and not wanting to find a trash can, shoved the cupcake down Rae's shirt. No big deal, Rae is just a drama queen.

I was cracking up, I could barely breathe I was laughing so hard. Rae was screaming at the top of her lungs about how her top was so expensive.

I was burning up so I took my jacket off and suddenly the yelling stopped and Derek's taunting stopped, and were they gaping?

"April you look…..you look…"Derek began.

"Breath taking" came an unexpected voice.

"WHAT?!"

I spun around to meet the strange masculine voice, I couldn't see him but my brain was already working over-time to try and picture him. She'd get Rae to tell her later.

"He's right, April. I've always known you were the prettiest girl in school, but today you look….gorgeous," Rae said. "Who are you?" I'm guessing she directed that towards the male figure, which I'd already scooted away from.

"I'm looking for April Thompson, which I'm guessing is this figure since she's one of the only ones here and she matches the picture her mother sent. I was sent here to make sure she gets on the plane safely, oh cut this shit, I'm Daniel."

"I'm April," I tried to sound confident as I faced where I was pretty sure Daniel was standing.

"Lucky me, I get to ride on a plane for eight hours with you," I could see him grinning, but his voice contrasted with his words, I didn't think he wanted to be here.

I tried to look confident as I went and hugged Rae whispering, "I'll call you as soon as I can," in her ear. She kissed my cheek before Derek took me up in his arms. The last bear hug, no I didn't want to think that, I'd see them again, I'll move back to America and go back to old high school and everything would be the same again.

But as Derek kissed my lips, somehow I knew that wasn't true.

I hugged my mom but she didn't cry, she kissed my cheek and said, "It's for the best." Not the most comforting words ever, you know?

I picked up my stuff silently as I left, I didn't dare look back, I couldn't see anything anyway and I knew I'd be haunted by what I didn't see.

I'd been on a plane before so I was hoping, praying for this plane to be the same as the other one. I'd probably never talk to Daniel again after this, what was his business knowing I was blind anyway? I bet he wouldn't even care.

"Ever been on a plane? Daniel's voice had changed, it seemed slightly lighter, but still rather bored.

"A couple of times. Is anyone else coming with us?" oh please, I don't want to spend the whole plane ride with him.

"Actually yes, what have you already lost interest in me?" he chuckled lightly. Who was this guy? Rude one minute, cracking jokes the next.

"Yes, you're rather boring," I laughed.

"Well thanks, that makes me feel very special," I could see him grinning, his brilliant features played lightly across my mind.

"Hey, you must be April," a new voice, female this time.

"Yeah and you are?"

"Lindsey, I'm going to Bentville Academy as well. I'm a sophomore, you?" she seemed friendly enough. I could already picture her the gossipy type.

"Same here, is this your first year at Bentville?" I asked as Lindsey she led me to a seat in first class.

"Oh no, I was here last year as well, my parents wanted to send me out of the house as soon as possible, when they got the letter asking me to attend their school my parents practically did a back flip," she stated, there obviously had to be more then she was saying.

"Oh just leave me alone girls," Daniel said, I hadn't been aware he'd been following us.

"Hey, Daniel are you a student?" I asked, turning around in the seat so as I could face Daniel.

"Yeah, I'm a senior, superior to you."

"Yes, bow down to us," another male voice.

"Oh shut up Zack. April, Zack, you don't want to get to know him. He's the biggest player around and he has horrible tastes in girls, oh yeah, and he's a dufus," I could just picture Lindsey grinning.

"Well a girl as hot as you can change even the biggest player," Zack said playfully.

"Shut up!"

"Oh did I say Lindsey? I meant April," I could picture Zack grinning like a maniac.

"Maybe I'll take you up on your offer," I teased.

"Oooh, sounds good, my dorm at ten?"

"You got it," I looked at Lindsey and then we started cracking up.

"Hey stop flirting with her, she's mine," came another masculine voice, my God how many people were there?

"My God, April, how many guys love you? Soon enough every girl at Bentville is going to hate you for stealing their man!" Lindsey exclaimed.

"Well if she stopped wearing tops like that, the girls would have nothing to worry about!" Oh God, I'd forgotten to put my jacket back on. I almost instantly reached for my jacket but then stopped. Maybe a little change wouldn't hurt.

"Excuse me, I can hear you, you know!" I said rather loudly.

"Oh forgive our rudeness, I'm…."

"Sherman," Lindsey cooed.

"Shut up! April don't listen to her, it's, okay yeah, it's Sherman, I go by Sherm, Jonathon, but for you…it's anything you want."

"Ooh, I like," I said in my sexiest tones, grinning like a maniac. Did any of them know I was blind? Had anyone of them guessed? Would they care?

"Shermy shall be your name!" I proclaimed, thrusting my fist in the air. I could just feel the stares I was getting from the passengers filing in to the plane.

"Are you sure that will make you happy?" I noticed the slight whine in his voice.

"Yes," I beamed with a nod of my head.

"Shermy," I heard another masculine voice, cooing, how many guys where on here? Okay, I wasn't complaining about being blind and I've accepted my disability, but God I hated not being able to see! Okay, so I was complaining but I wasn't lying about accepting my blindness.

"Okay, can someone please tell me who that is?" I whined.

"Pay no attention to him," Daniel was talking, "That's just boring old Aaron. He's all serious, I don't see why girls pine over him."

"Thanks for the compliment Daniel. April, huh? You're new. What grade are you in?"

"Sophomore, but ya'll have failed to tell me what you guys are."

"Daniel and Zack as you already know are seniors, Shermy is a junior, and I'm a senior as well." Aaron, my God, I loved his voice, masculine while not over powering, tender and rough all at the same time.

"Yeah Aaron just had to stay an extra year," Shermy said, sounding rather disappointed.

"What do you mean?" what? Wasn't he a senior? Did he get held back or something? I hope not, I mean no problem at all really but it ruins the picture of him I was creating.

"He could've gone to college after his junior year, but Aaron for some reason thought that wouldn't help him very much. I see why he stayed," Lindsey said with her perky voice, I was already warming up to her voice, most people might find it annoying but I found it rather comforting.

"And why is that?" this was all so confusing. Suddenly I noticed I'd been to engrossed in our conversation to notice that our plane had taken off. If I could see I would have my nose pressed against the window. But I couldn't, my loss of sight ruined everything.

"He must have some sixth sense, and it told him that a gorgeous girl was going to walk in to his life if he stayed at Bentville one more year!" Shermy finished dramatically, Lindsey and I looked at each other and then burst out laughing. How stupid can you get was all I could wonder.

"Yeah, Aaron when was the last time you screwed a girl? Hmmm…Two years ago! Listen to this April, girls are pining over him, like any girl would die to be with Aaron and two years, two! Count them, one two, two years without a girlfriend," exclaimed Zack, what was his problem? Was he so pitiful that he had to be jealous of Aaron's greatness?

"If you haven't forgotten Zack his girlfriend decided to cheat on him so he kind of gave up on the female species," Daniel grinned.

"You're gay!?" I suddenly burst out.

"What?! No! I love girls, I just don't date them," Aaron said quickly, there was slight laughter in his voice covering up a large amount of pain I'd noticed. But just because she cheated on him, he has given up on the female species….how interesting.

"It's okay, Aaron, we've been waiting for you to come out of the closet for awhile now," I could picture Shermy beaming cheesily as he clasped Aaron on the back.

"Lindsey, I have to tell you something. But I don't want you to ever pity me or think that I'm not good as anyone else, okay?"

"Ummm…..Okay," Lindsey said uncertain. We were sitting in the plane, everything was dark and the guys had fallen asleep are gone somewhere else on the plane.

"Promise?" I asked raising my eyebrows.

"Promise."

"Okay, well, I'm blind." I said, waiting for the outrage outburst, for the yelling and disbelief, for her pitying me. But it didn't happen.

"You're kidding. I never would've guessed, I mean your eyes aren't faded or anything, just this gorgeous amethyst. Wow….That's awesome!" This was the first reaction I'd ever gotten.

"Okay, so you have to fill me in on how everyone looks!" I said suddenly happy. Lindsey didn't care, she was like Rae, she wasn't going to taunt me…Now we just have to see what happens when I tell the guys.

"Okay Aaron is absolutely gorgeous. He has this beautiful messy black hair and hazel eyes, they almost look like they're grey with sparks of green. He's muscular built, long and lean and not too, too buff. He wears I don't know, Abercrombie clothes and such. Now Zack is a skater, huge, curly brown hair and brown eyes. Skinny built and all. Then Daniel is like Aaron, built the same and dresses the same except a preppy hair cut, blonde spiky hair and really pretty blue eyes. Sherman, or "Shermy" is skinny, wears tight pants and has bright red hair that reaches his shoulders. Me, well, I have really long red hair and emerald green eyes. Does that explain anything?"

Just how I pictured it.

"Yes."

And from that moment on I knew something important was going to happen with my newfound friends, something good or maybe bad was going to happen to me this year. But whatever happens I promise to make the most of it.