When I Look Her In The Eyes

[Anna]

this is just the introduction...it might take a while for me to post sometimes cuz im pretty busy with school and all that, but i had an idea that i havent seen done before and wanted to try it, so i will

Eyes are powerful things. They allow you to see, to communicate. They help you complete every day tasks with ease. But what happens when some horrible incident happens and takes that away from you? You can no longer see the world around you, the places and things you had come to know and enjoy, the people you love and care about. You can no longer show how lousy you feel without having to say a word, or how completely surprised you are when you’re in too much of a shock to say anything. You are always at risk of bumping into something because you didn't know it was there, or walking out of the house with an unbelievably hideous outfit because your mom was too busy to get your clothes ready in the morning, and worst of all, being mocked because of your disability. But as unfortunate as these people are, they will never fail to amaze you. They can’t see, so they feel. They smell. They hear. Taking a seemingly impossible task and making it look as easy as breathing. Every once in a while you meet someone like this, and it’s a gift, a blessing, to have that chance. And whether they know they’re doing it or not, whether you know they're doing it or not, they will change your lives. Forever.

[Vanessa (:]

The introduction's really good. I can't wait until you post the first chapter! The story's gonna be great! (:

[Anna]

Chapter 1
“Nick, come down for lunch!” I heard my mom call from downstairs.
“Coming!” I yelled back and closed all the windows on my computer. I took one look out my window, at the perfect sunny summer day, and left my room with a smile on my face. It was my first day off since school had ended and I was positive this summer would be a good one. As soon as I got to the kitchen, my mom handed me a plate with a sandwich and some potato chips on it and pointed to the front door. I could see my brothers through the screen, sitting on the porch eating. I thanked my mother and went to join them, sitting on the top step in between my two older brothers, Joe and Kevin. We ate our lunches, laughing as we watched our younger brother, Frankie, playing in the grass in front of us. Before long our neighbor had seen us and come outside.
“Hey guys.” She said, walking toward our house.
“Hi Tina!” Frankie exclaimed, running up to her and hugging her legs. She gave him a halfhearted smile and a quick hug before sitting down on the stairs with a huge sigh.
“You ok?” Kevin asked, an eyebrow raised. Christina was always in a good mood, even though she had every right to be mad. She shrugged.
“We told you, don't listen to the others…who was it this time?” Joe asked, referring to the other kids her age. She wasn’t exactly what you’d call ‘popular’; most kids didn't like her at all. She was just different…there was nothing wrong with her, and once you got to know her, she was really cool. But all everyone saw was the weird kid who didn't fit in…the underdog. Christina shook her head.
“No one. Besides, I told you, I don't care about them.” She said. “My little cousin’s visiting for the summer.”
“Little like me?” Frankie asked, suddenly paying attention. Christina smiled at him, but shook her head.
“Little like Nick.” She told him.
“13 isn’t little!” I complained.
“Younger than me.” Christina replied, shrugging.
“By a year.” I heard Kevin sigh. We have had this argument countless times, even though the age difference really didn't bother any of us.
“Look, I’m older than both of you, so give it up. What's so bad about your cousin coming anyways?” Kevin asked. Christina shrugged.
“Nothing really. She just…requires a lot of attention.” She said. Suddenly the door next door opened and we saw Christina’s mom stick her head outside.
“Christina! I thought I told you to stay with Jamie!” She said. Christina sighed.
“See what I mean?” She asked, standing up. “Coming.” She called back to her mom. “Gotta go, maybe I’ll bring her over later for you guys to meet. See ya.” She said as she jogged back to her house. Through the window of her house we could all see the girl-Jamie-sitting on the couch. She was pretty. Really pretty.
“Finally, someone else for Nick to follow around.” Joe smiled.
“Mandy is my friend too, I can hang out with her if I want to.” I said, but I knew he was right. Sure she was a friend, always had been. But recently she had become more than that for Joe, and it wasn’t the same being around the two of them. Besides, they were both 3 years older than me, and Kevin was 2 years older than them. Even Christina was older than me. Frankie was only 5, a little kid. Someone my age would be nice. I smiled, looking back at Christina’s house. This summer was already looking pretty good.

[Vanessa (:]

I like the first the chapter! Post more soon. (:

[Anna]

The doorbell startled me. It was 8 AM on a Sunday, who would be coming to our house? I continued the video game I had been playing with Joe, barely listening as I heard my dad get up and answer the door.
“Good morning Christina!” He said. I stopped playing and looked away from the TV.
“Morning Mr. Jonas, this is my cousin Jamie.” Christina never came back yesterday like she said she would.
“Christina’s cousin is here!” I said. Kevin shrugged from across the room where he was listening to his iPod and playing his guitar.
“So we can meet her when they come down here, would you just sit down and play already?” Joe asked, anxious to finish the game. I shook my head, suddenly becoming aware that I was still in sweatpants and an old t-shirt, my hair was a mess, and I probably looked like I just rolled out of bed since that’s exactly what I did just half an hour ago. Barely even realizing it, I quickly started running a hand through my hair and straightening my shirt out.
“Nervous?” Kevin smirked, putting the guitar down. I shrugged.
“No, I just…” The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs cut me off. We all smiled as we saw Christina coming down to the basement, holding the hand of the girl I had seen yesterday in the window. Christina whispered something to her cousin and then led her to where we were all sitting.
“Hey guys! This is my cousin Jamie.” She said. “Jamie, these are my neighbors, Nick, Joe, and Kevin.” The girl smiled and said hello, but wouldn’t look at any of us. Instead she stared straight ahead. I turned to see what she was looking at, but all I saw was a blank wall.
“Nice to meet you. Here, sit down.” Joe moved over to make room. Jamie slowly put her hand on the arm of the couch and inched her way forward. Christina watched, never taking her eyes off Jamie’s feet. Joe quickly snatched one of Frankie’s stuffed animals off the couch before Jamie sat down. Christina smiled at him and nodded, mouthing ‘thanks’. Once Jamie was sitting, Christina looked back and forth between her cousin and me.
“Um…Nick, why don't you and Jamie stay here for a minute, I want to ask Joe and Kevin something.” She said, looking desperately to my brothers. They both nodded and got up, following our neighbor up the stairs. I turned to Jamie.
“So…you’re staying here all summer?” I asked. She nodded.
“Until I have to go back to school.” She said, still staring blankly at whatever it was she was looking at.
“That’s cool.” I said when she didn't elaborate on what she had told me.
“I guess. It’s just hard to get used to…there’s not much for me to do around here.” She sighed. “But Christina talks about you guys all the time. You’ve known her since she moved here, right?” I nodded. Jamie was silent for a moment. “…Right?” She asked finally, not once looking at me since she got here. Suddenly I realized something, obviously a lot later than Kevin and Joe did.
“Yes.” I answered, positive that I was right once I saw that speaking got a response from Jamie while nodding didn't. It made perfect sense, and I felt pretty stupid for not noticing sooner. It was why Christina held her hand coming down to the basement and whispered to her when they were on the last step. It was why Joe had moved the toy instead of letting her move it herself. He wasn’t just being polite; he did it because she wouldn’t have moved it. She couldn’t see it. Jamie was blind.

[audreykins]

Ohhh my gosh. I love the plot of this story. I cannot wait for the next chapter!

[Vanessa (:]

I like it! Post more soon! I can't wait for the next chapter. The story's going good. (:

[Anna]

“Bye guys!” Christina said cheerfully, waving to us while she opened the back door of out house. “Thank you so much.” She whispered before closing the door behind her and jogging across our yard, hopping over the fence into her own backyard. My brothers and I exchanged glances. She had left us here with a blind girl. For a whole hour. She had begged Joe and Kevin to let Jamie stay here for a while because she was so tired of having to constantly be aware of what her cousin was doing. What could we do? It would be pretty rude to just turn down a blind kid like that.
“Well you two have fun.” Joe said, turning around to go. Kevin grabbed the back of his shirt, forcing him to stop mid-step.
“You aren’t making Nick do this alone, come on.” He said, motioning for both of us to follow him into the living room where Jamie had been waiting.
“So Jamie, what do you want to do?” I asked, sitting on the arm of the couch. She shrugged.
“I don't care, anything.” She replied.
“I don’t care what you guys do either, but I’m vacuuming in here.” Our mom said, walking into the room. She smiled at Jamie. “Hi, I’m Mrs. Jonas, you must be Christina’s cousin.” She said, putting her hand out for Jamie to shake.
“Yes, I’m Jamie. Nice to meet you.” Jamie said. When she didn't move, my mom put her hand down and frowned, looking at us with a confused look on her face. Then she looked at Jamie’s eyes, seemed to realize something, and stepped closer to Jamie, put a hand on her shoulder, and responded with a simple “Nice to meet you too” before leaving to get the vacuum.
“I guess we’re going upstairs then.” Joe said, standing up. He walked over to the stairs, glanced at them to make sure there were no stray toys, sleeping dogs, or any other things that might cause someone to trip. He nodded at us and waited as Kevin led Jamie over to the stairs while I followed close behind.
“Ok Jamie, there are…” He looked at the stairs. “14 steps. 2 at first, then you’re going to turn right and there’s 12 going straight up.” He said, putting one hand on the small of her back and using his other hand to take hers. She nodded and the two of them proceeded upstairs without any problems. Joe and I followed, impressed. Kevin was good at this. Once upstairs, Kevin jerked his chin toward my bedroom door and Joe nodded and opened it, moving aside to let everyone in.
“Frankie can you go play in the basement or somewhere?” Joe asked, kicking a few random objects to the side so they weren’t lying in the middle of the floor.
“But it’s my room!” Frankie complained.
“You can stay, just keep out of our way, don’t leave toys in the middle of the room.” Kevin said. Jamie shook her head.
“He’s fine, I don’t need someone watching me every two seconds, just let me get to know my way around.” She said, pulling away from Kevin. He let go of her arm and stepped back. He looked to Joe and I and shrugged, and we all watched as she slowly walked around my bedroom, feeling the floor with her foot before taking a step so she didn't trip on anything. She stopped to touch everything she came across until she figured out what it was.
“What are you doing?” Frankie asked, snatching his toys away when she knelt to pick them up one by one.
“Frankie.” Joe said quietly. Our brother pouted, but gave up his stuffed animals.
“What are you playing with?” Jamie asked, turning a Care Bear around in her hands.
“Care Bears, can’t you see it?” Frankie asked, looking at her like she was crazy. Jamie shook her head. “You can’t see?” He asked, amazed. He stood up and stared right into her eyes, as if he was looking for something wrong with them.
“Frankie!” This time Kevin and I both joined Joe in scolding him. Jamie laughed.
“It’s ok. No, I can’t see, here you go.” She handed the toy back to him and continued searching out my room. She stopped in the corner, where I had my guitar leaning against the wall. She smiled.
“Christina told me you guys were musicians.” She said, picking up the guitar.
“Well yea, sort of. We’ve written a few songs, but we haven't recorded them or anything yet.” Joe said.
“We’re hopefully doing that in a couple months. If the record company likes our music, that is.” Kevin added.
“I’m sure they will…but maybe I should hear one of your songs first. Just to make sure it’s good enough.” She grinned. My brothers and I exchanged glances and smiled.
“Ok! I’ll go get my guitar.” Kevin said and left my room.
“We’ll do ‘Underdog’. Then she can tell us if Christina would like it.” Joe whispered to me. I nodded. “Ok Jamie, sit back and relax and enjoy the show, but you have to promise us you won’t tell your cousin about this song. We aren’t done with it yet and she hasn’t heard it. We want it to be a surprise.” He said to Jamie as Kevin came back and the two of us started tuning our guitars.
“Don’t tell Christina. Got it. Now play.” Jamie said, clearly excited. We played the song. By the time we finished, her eyes were closed and she had a smile on her face. She was silent afterward, and quietly got up and slowly made her way to my desk, found a piece of paper, and held it out.
“Sign it. All three of you.” She said. I took the paper, staring at it.
“Why?” Joe asked, finding a pen.
“Because.” Jamie said. “Someday, you guys are going to be famous.” Kevin and Joe’s faces both lit up as they autographed the page, and I’m sure mine did too. Suddenly ‘our neighbor left us alone with a blind kid’ didn't seem like such a bad idea.

[Vanessa (:]

I liked the chapter. You're a good writer. Can't wait until the next chapter! (:

[Anna]

The next few weeks after that were great. Jamie and I started hanging out every single day. Some days we would just sit around and talk, others we would go for a walk around the neighborhood or go to the park. We went to the movies once, I had to describe everything that was happening which got the people sitting around us pretty annoyed, but it was fun. It took a while to get used to doing things with Jamie-if we were somewhere she had never been before I had to be extra careful and watch where she was going. I couldn’t nod or shrug as a response to something she said. Even describing things to her was hard- I couldn’t use color since she had never seen color. One day on our walk we saw some guy and I pointed out he looked like my dad. I couldn’t do that; Jamie didn't know what my dad looked like. Until I got used to all of this, Christina or one of my brothers would be with us most of the times, but after a while they left us alone and it was just the two of us. And that was nice. I always had a good time with Jamie, no matter what we did. She had a way of making even the most boring things seem fun. Her laugh was contagious; it could cheer you up no matter what. People had always said Kevin’s laugh had the same effect, but it was different with Jamie. Soon I found myself not complaining at all when the alarm went off in the morning. I didn't take my time finishing breakfast and getting dressed and ready to go. I’d be next door so fast that Joe wouldn’t even be back from his daily morning jog by the time I left. The summer was going great. My parents were happy that I was getting out of the house-most summers I have nothing to do since a lot of the kids around here go on vacation or to camp, and besides, I wasn’t exactly the most social person around. My brothers were happy because I would leave them alone for a while each day-I guess having your little brother tag along everywhere you go does get pretty annoying. Christina was happy that her cousin was having a good time and she didn't have to worry that she wasn’t safe. And I was happy that I found a friend. A best friend.

“Leaving? What do you mean leaving?” I asked in shock.
“Shh, don't wake your brother. Come downstairs.” My mom whispered and smiled at me sympathetically. I sighed and obeyed, climbing out of bed. It was still dark. I paused to look at Frankie, fast asleep. I would love to be him right now. I knew something was wrong, my mom doesn’t wake me up at 3 AM for nothing, and he was just sleeping right through it. He didn't have to worry about anything.
“Nicholas?” I looked away from my brother and followed my mother downstairs to the kitchen.
“Sit down Nicholas.” My dad said, motioning to the empty chair between Kevin and Joe, who had his head buried in his arms. I hit his head with the back of my hand as I walked past him to sit down and he sat up immediately, looking around in confusion. Kevin smirked.
“That’s the second time he’s fallen asleep since we got down here.” He said, but he sounded so tired I wouldn’t be surprised if he fell asleep right then and there too. My parents looked at each other and my mom sighed.
“Boys…Mrs. Nye’s brother passed away last night.” She said quietly. I heard a quiet gasp from Kevin. My mouth literally dropped open, just a little. Christina’s uncle. Dead.
“But…he was so young!” Joe said, barely louder than a whisper.
“Yes he was, only 37. He had lung cancer, you knew that. He was suffering. He’s in a much better place now.” My dad said, glancing up to the ceiling and smiling a little. “But keep him in and the Nye’s your prayers.” He looked at each of us and nodded, then looked to our mother. Again she sighed. I knew where this was going.
“What about Christina? And Jamie?” I asked. My mom sat down across from us at the table, putting one of her hands over mine, the other over Joe’s. Our dad joined us, standing behind Kevin with a hand on his shoulder.
“Christina’s mother is going to get on the next flight she can and go to be with her family. Her dad and her will drive out there tomorrow and arrive in time for the wake and funeral, they’re going to take Jamie with them. From there Jamie’s going to go home with her family.” My mom said, staring directly at me, knowing I’d be the most upset about it. I shrugged and tried not to show how much what she had just said hurt me.
“Good, she should be with her family. I feel bad for her and Christina and Mr. and Mrs. Nye and all, but did you really have to wake me up at 3 in the morning to tell me?” I asked. I didn't mean it at all, I would have been mad if she hadn't gotten me up to tell me, but it was all I could say at the moment.
“Nick, this is…” Kevin started talking, but our mom interrupted.
“Ok Nicholas, I’m sorry. You can all spend tomorrow with the girls before they leave, I’m sure they’d appreciate it. Why don't you go back to bed and get some sleep?” She smiled and kissed my forehead. I nodded and started going upstairs, stopping half way. I knelt down just above where they couldn’t see me anymore. When I pressed my ear against the wall, I could just faintly hear my family whispering in the kitchen below.
“How could he just not care like that?” Kevin was asking. I heard a sigh.
“He does, he’s just going to be a little upset for a while. You both saw how close he had gotten to that girl, I was almost expecting our little Nicky to have his first girlfriend by the end of summer.” I could just see the ridiculous smile that must have been on my mother’s face when she said that.
“Yea, it did seem like it.” Joe agreed. I furrowed my eyebrows and pressed my head harder against the wall. How could they just sit there and talk about me like that? Did they discuss my life on a normal basis when I left the room?
“Just be easy on him, he looks up to you guys, you have no idea how much he does. He’s probably going to be looking to you for support, so be nice.” My dad said.
“We know dad, don't worry.” Kevin said. He yawned. “I’m going to go back to bed, goodnight.” I heard him get up from the table and start walking towards the stairs.
“Hey, wait up.” I heard Joe also stand and follow. Before I could get up the stairs to my room, I was faced by my entire family standing at the bottom of the stairs staring up at me.
“Nicholas, what are you doing up?” My dad asked.
“Maybe I’m not tired, what are you doing discussing how I feel about all of this behind my back? Because guess what? I don't even care that Jamie’s leaving! She wasn’t ‘little Nicky’s first girlfriend’ or whatever else you guys have been calling her, I was only being nice to her because I knew you guys would be happy if I was! And I don’t care that she’s leaving!” I said, probably a little louder than I should have. I glared at them one last time, breathing heavily. Then I turned and ran, slammed my door shut, and laid in bed staring at the ceiling until morning. At that moment I didn't really care that I had snapped at my family. I didn't even care anymore about what they had said about me. I didn't care that my little tantrum had woken up Frankie and now my parents were probably even madder at me than they were before. The only thing I cared about was the one thing I said I hadn’t. Jamie was leaving. Forever.