The Stoner & The Blind Girl

Part 2

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"Living is easy with eyes closed."

-John Lennon

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It was an average day in Maryland. Do you know what I mean? When Mother Nature just decides to piss on everyone's day with terrible weather, or at least that's my opinion.

It was gross outside.

It was wet, freezing cold, and a chilling wind was blowing through the air and cooling my nose, the tips of my ears, and my fingers.

My nose was bright red not only three steps out my front door from the blast of icy chilled wind.

I hate the weather here in Maryland during winter. It's far too cold. And, it's far too wet.

My mother made me wear a large black winter jacket, green ear muffs, soft grey mittens, and a scarf my late great aunt had knitted for me when she had lived with us. She couldn't remember my name but somehow could remember how to knit...

I felt stiff like I could barely walk due to all I was wearing. I did like the gray gloves; they did a good job of keeping my fingers from turning black and falling off.

We (Devon, Levi, Michael, and I) were all sitting in a semi-circle behind the football field bleachers talking and joking around. My butt was cold from the snow. Mostly all that was happening was Michael smoking a joint as Levi and Devon kept cover making sure no one saw.

While they were smoking and freezing I wasn't in the mood to do so. I didn't really feel like getting high, especially right before school started. But when Michael passed me the joint I still took a couple of puffs before passing it to Levi.

Emma had been on my mind more than usual lately and it was irritating me. Not her but my new found obsession with thinking about her. And what she was doing, and who she was with. I couldn't get her out of my mind.

Levi began animatedly talking about some football game he had watched yesterday. Yup, he is high. I know he is since he had clearly forgotten that we were with him yesterday and watched the game with him but he acted it out as if none of us have ever seen football before.

I stopped listening by the time the third word left out of his mouth. I knew soon we would get busted or end up skipping school today all together.

That's when I noticed her, Emma, sitting on a bench on the other side of the school football field alone. As her cousin talked to a group of girls with her back turned several feet away.

I couldn't stop myself from getting up and walking towards her. I carefully sat my bag on the bench next to her.

Emma flinched in her seat and dropped the book she was holding. She bent over and began running her fingers over the ground looking for it. I could see the book only a few inches away from where she ran her figures over feeling around.

I wanted to help her or at least say sorry for making her drop her book but I couldn't bring myself to.

Instead, I just bit my tongue and watched before sitting down next to her.

I wouldn't have said sorry had it been anyone else, heck I wouldn't have cared. Why should she be different? I began to feel a hollowness in my chest. I felt bad.

Why was she different?

This is the closest I've ever been to her, I could make out the side of her face. I didn't know what to say so I remained quiet.

I know by now she knows I'm here. Neither of us did anything about it as we both sat still and quietly. Emma no longer reaching for her book which was still on the ground.