Imagine Me and You

Tess Taylor-resident freak at your service. The poor girl, being blind since birth, was having a very rough morning. Her long curly white gold hair didn’t want to cooperate this morning and so she had just let it be, but then of course her favorite long sleeved plaid shirt had been tucked away in a box, so she had to dig that out, all of this on her first day of school in a new town. What was worse was that in all the hustle and bustle of the morning, Tess had completely spaced and left her stick at home.

Now she kept bumping in to things, like the wall that she was currently trying to skirt around to try and make her way towards the gym. At seventeen Tess was pretty aware of the fact that being blind was hard, but she also was aware of the fact that when people didn’t know you were blind, well they could be kind of cruel.

As soon as the bus had dropped her off in front of the school, Tess had mentally slapped herself because she realized, as she tripped down the steps of said bus, that she had left her stick at home. She decided then and there that she would make the best of it and leave her Ray bans on her face as she walked the halls of her new school. She could hear the kids laughing at her and she could even hear them whispering about the ‘drunk girl’ the ‘crazy girl’-no one was even bothering to help her out.

Tess was used to it-she got a long just fine all her life with little help and she knew that being almost an adult she was just going to have to get used to it. Her parents, sad that she had been born this way, embraced her and her blind status, but even they couldn’t help but laugh at her sometimes.

Tess was a step above an albino at this point-with her white blonde hair and the natural golden yellow streaks, her pale skin that almost glowed and then there were her eyes. Her mother always told her that Tess’ eyes kind of made everyone nervous, but Tess never really understood why-they were just a light crystal blue that went unseeing any time she took her glasses off of her face.

Some days Tess wished she could see, but then she wouldn’t have what she had now and that seemed almost worse. Tess had strong senses, other than her eyes, and she could hear a fly buzzing past her ear so well that she could catch it. Smelling was also a heightened sense and sometimes it worked to her advantage because she could associate smells with people and be able to tell who was sneaking up on her.

Right now her sense of smell was being overwhelmed by cheap perfume, bad cafeteria breakfast and also something else-stuck up people. She could hear their laughter and while used it, Tess still felt sad that people would openly laugh at someone who was obviously having a hard time. Ohwell. Tess only sighed as she ran her hands over the wall to her left and finally smiled as she felt the small plastic plaque that sat there. She felt the brail and knew she was right outside of the cafeteria-according to her brail map that the office had given her the gym was right beside the cafeteria and so she was almost there. Her chucks squeaked against the slick floor-good job waxing there janitor staff-and Tess only sighed happily as she began to hear a familiar sound.

Basketballs hitting the gym floor, laughter, the smell of sweat and too much AXE body spray-she had made it finally. Tess just kept to the wall, hoping that soon she would come across a sign for the girl’s locker room so that she could find Coach Locke and figure out where and what she was supposed to do next. In all of her other schools gym wasn’t a requirement for her-being blind and throwing a baseball didn’t really work out…just ask her old gym teacher who had a very nice pair of false teeth to cover up the ones Tess had knocked out.

Finally her fingers found what she was looking for and after struggling to get the door open, Tess was met with the stench of female. Perfume, shampoo-it was all so overwhelming and she tried not to gag as Tess felt around for something to tell her where she was. Suddenly someone was standing right in front of her, Tess could tell because the air hand changed and she felt a hand come out to help her take a seat on a bench.


“I, um, I’m Tess Taylor.” She stumbled over her words and there was a soft tickling laughter that wove through the air.

“It’s nice to meet you Tess. I’m Coach Locke-are you okay?” The woman asked and Tess only smirked and shrugged her shoulders.

“I’m a blind girl without her walking stick and getting ready to go to gym class…how would you be?” She joked and Coach Locke only laughed and then placed a hand on Tess’ shoulder.

“It’ll be okay-we’ll get you a uniform and if anything you can just walk the track today. It’s a huge circle and shouldn’t be too bad for you to navigate.” Tess only smiled, nodding her head as she took the clothes being passed to her and then made her way towards a row of lockers.


Changing, thankfully, wasn’t a problem and soon enough Tess found herself walking around outside, the cool autumn air brushing her hair out of her face. She could hear the sounds of people around her, the sound of a football whizzing through the air, girls screaming and laughing unison and she could hear the sound of someone walking behind her.

Tess just kept going, not stopping and she wouldn’t stop until she heard the sound of a whistle signaling them all that it was time to go in and change. The air smelled good-fresh cut grass, asphalt and she could smell the leaves as they drifted towards the ground. Being blind was hard, but sometimes it paid off. Walking around in this circle wasn’t much fun, but what was she going to do?

Tess only smiled to herself-if only she had her iPod with her, then this wouldn’t be so bad. She loved music-loved the way it made her feel deep down to her toes and Tess knew her life wouldn’t be as good if it weren’t for music. Currently she was humming to herself and as Tess rounded a corner she took a misstep and held her hands out to try and steady herself. Little did she realize that that person who had been walking behind her had also been trying to pass her and now the two had collided. Her senses were in over drive as the person held her and the first thing Tess could sense was the smell of cigarette smoke. The hand reaching out for her griped at her arm and she could hear a low bit of chuckling.


“Watch where you’re going…” The voice that spoke out to her was deep, deeper than she would have thought possible for a teenager and Tess only smirked. She moved her hands up to her glasses and made it a point to cock her head to the side as she slid them down her nose. She heard an intake of breath and Tess only shook her head as she kept walking.

“Kind of hard for a blind girl…” She said, her tone clipped and then she could hear the sound of boots smacking against the paved track. A hand reached out for her, holding her still and Tess found herself being turned around to face whoever was standing in front of her.

“I am so sorry. Sometimes my mouth runs away with me. I’m Andy.” She could feel breath on her face and Tess only smirked as she nodded her head. This kid sounded like he had a James Dean complex just by the way he said his own name. He thought he was a badass-a rebel-but Tess could tell just by how he apologized that he was a softy at heart.

“I’m Tess, resident new girl and overall freak of nature. Nice to meet you.” She said as she turned and began to walk. Tess could hear Andy breathing beside her and she knew that he was now walking in time with her, instead of trying to get past.

“Why a freak of nature?” He asked and Tess paused as she heard a clicking noise and then the air smelled like smoke. Well obviously Andy was completely unaware of the rules or he just didn’t give a shit.

“Have you seen my eyes?” She laughed, turning to him and she could only just imagine his face. He sounded like he had a strong jaw that clenched when he was angry and she could tell by the way he talked that he had a lip ring on one side of his mouth-she could hear him chewing on it even now.

“Yeah and I think they’re pretty fucking awesome. I mean I have light blue eyes, but they aren’t anything compared to yours…” He said and she could hear the smirk in his voice. Blue eyes huh? Tess only smiled as she tucked a strand of hair behind one ear, but kept on walking.

“So, you’re new here. I’ve been here for four years-finally busting out in June.” Andy said, desperately trying to keep the conversation going and Tess only smirked. Guys were so easy to read-even badasses who thought no one understood them. Tess was the ultimate outcast-she always had been.

“Same. Although I’m probably just going to stay home-I don’t know how well I would do at college.” She said with a sadness to her voice. Both of them stopped walking and Andy had placed a hand on her cheek as she spun around to face him.

“Look Tess, you don’t know me and I don’t know you, but I can read people pretty well and I know that you can probably do just about anything you want to.” He was smirking and Tess only wished she could see him right now.

“Thanks Andy…would you be willing to help me around today? I’m kind of tired of bumping into things.” She smiled and then her smile grew as she felt Andy take one of her hands, place it on his cheek so that she could feel him nodding his answer.


Yes, yes he would help her around today and every other day for as long as she needed him to. There was something about Tess Taylor that intrigued him and as they walked, hand in hand around that lonely school track, Andy knew that if she had the courage to be herself…then he had no excuses.

Notes