All Our Sensitivity

chapter ten - feeling

Wednesday was going to be a great day.

Nate awoke from a slumber that hosted no nightmares. He slept a full 8 hours, which rarely ever happened. Due to his parents and siblings leaving for school and work, the home was quiet besides the purrs and play from Luna. The night before, Theodore had made plans to pick him up at 12. Nate was shocked at how early this was; actually, it wasn't early to him, but felt as if it was impossible for Theodore to want to see him that soon in the day.

Nate made sure he was awake by 9:30 so he could complete his normal routine with extra grace. He got up, ate some granola and oat milk, played with Luna, took a shower, and tried to get an outfit put together that he felt satisfied in. After countless decisions, he chose a dark brown sweatshirt with a small corner logo of a local record shop in Colorado, black jeans, and cream colored—very worn in—Reeboks. He had worn this outfit before, so he knew that it was at least presentable, but he worried if it was enough. His friends had described Theodore as stylish and he felt insecure in comparison. The thought of him looking lame and boring plagued his mind.

The ten minutes before 12 were the worst. He had gotten ready all he could, so he waited on the floor, petting Luna and trying to calm down. Even though the two had hung out multiple times, Nate's nerves never ceased. He always felt on the verge of vomiting or melting into a pile of nothingness. As he sat, trying to avoid those two outcomes, he thought about how excited he was to be in Theodore's apartment. This was going to be a new environment that he would enjoy. Theodore lived on his own, and Nate didn't see a reason as to why Theodore's place would have anything abhorrently wrong with it.

Sooner than he realized, there was a knock at the door. He stood up, confused as to who could be knocking.

"Who is it?" he called out; it was something he always did to avoid opening the door and standing there with no clue who was on the other side.

"Theodore!"

Nate panicked and smiled as he pet Luna one last time and grabbed his raincoat and other belongings before opening the door.

"Sorry," Theodore spoke over the rushing wind. "My phone is dead. Also, it's lost in my car somewhere."

Nate chuckled as he locked the handle behind him—giving it a wiggle to ensure it was secure.

"Don't worry about it. It only scared me a little," Nate teased. "Where's your car at?"

"Oh!" Theodore exclaimed, gently nudging his elbow beside Nate.

Nate smiled and he couldn't help but think that Theodore, once again, forgot that he couldn't see. Nate took the guide and folded out his cane as they walked down the driveway. The car ride to Theodore's apartment was spent discussing the past couple days that they had not seen each other. Theodore worked quite a bit and was able to go skating, which he was mighty pleased about. Nate didn't do much besides schoolwork and going to an art gallery of a friend of a friend's. It wasn't anything eventful, but he quite enjoyed it. His life was in a fairly steady place for once.

After a 7-minute drive and a search for the lost phone, the two had arrived outside the complex. Nate couldn't wait to get inside; he was finally in the space in which Theodore dwelled during his free time. They walked up the two flights of steps—in which Theodore had disapprovingly said that the elevator was always closed, prompting Nate to teach Theodore how to lead him up the steps—and walked to the right three doors down, tucked in a corner. Even if Nate never came again, he made sure to map out where Theodore's door was by feeling the ridges of the them and the raised address number. Theodore was patient as he did so. Not once did he interrupt or rush him.

"Fair warning: it's kind of cold. I can turn on a portable heater, but the actual heater doesn't work. Like at all."

"Oh no," Nate chuckled as they stepped inside.