Peppermint Patty stared at the clock in the high school's hallway. The long hand was halfway between the 10 and the 11, while the short hand was dangerously close to the 9. Other students wandered around Patty, occasionally bumping into her. Patty didn't care. She was waiting for her best friend, the bookish girl with the sweet temperament and the thick glasses.
She and Marcie had been friends for years. She didn't remember exactly why, but something had clicked between her and the girl. It was an unusual friendship, to say the least. They had so little in common. Marcie liked reading and school; Peppermint Patty was bored by both those things. Peppermint Patty loved sports; Marcie insisted on calling the final NFL game the "Splendid Bowl". Marcie had worn glasses for as long as she could remember; Peppermint Patty had thought she's look more sophisticated without them. Still, the two girls shared a resilience and playfulness that kept their friendship from faltering.
As the long hand crept towards the 11, Peppermint Patty became worried. It wasn't like Marcie to be late for school. Most of the time, Marcie was the one waiting in the hallway. When Peppermint Patty showed up, the two girls would walk to their classes together. It had become their little tradition. Even something as simple as a role reversal made Peppermint Patty feel uneasy. She wrung her hands and kept her eyes on the clock, whose long hand now touched the 11 mark.
"Sorry for making you wait, sir!"
Peppermint Patty spun around. Marcie stood in the door of the school, smiling as usual.
"Well, it's about time!" Peppermint Patty teased. "I thought you'd gotten run over by a cat or something."
Marcie ran up to Patty. "No, sir, I just had a opto- eye doctor appointment."
Peppermint Patty nodded in understanding. Before she could ask how the appointment went, Marcie looked over at the clock.
"Crap! We're going to be late!"
Marcie grabbed her friend by the arm and pulled her through the hall. A warning bell rang, causing Marcie's steps to quicken. Peppermint Patty could barely keep up. She stumbled a few times as Marcie raced to their classroom. The bookish teen stopped inches from the closed classroom door.
Peppermint Patty wrenched her arm from her friend's grasp. "What on earth was that for?"
Marcie seemed unfazed by Patty's annoyance. "I didn't want us to be late for homeroom."
" Mrs. Bates is always late to class. I know that, you know that..." Peppermint Patty crossed her arms.
A moment of silence fell upon the two girls as the other students slowly gathered around the door. Two times, Marcie wanted to say something, but she knew it would be embarrassing if others saw her cry. Eventually, Mrs. Bates arrived and unlocked the door, breaking the tension surrounding the class. The students went to their usual seats, and Mrs. Bates did attendance.
After attendance was taken, Peppermint Patty turned around. Marcie didn't look as good as she usually did. Her sunny disposition had changed to an overcast gloom. She stared at a knot in the wood of her desk. Gravity pulled her glasses down her nose, but Marcie just let gravity take its toll.
Peppermint Patty leaned over the back of her chair. "Are you okay, kid?" When Marcie looked up, Patty continued. "Actually, don't answer that. You're going to say, 'fine'. You are not fine. I should ask: What's bothering you so much?"
Marcie looked around the room, hesitating for a minute. She tried to put her thought into words. "Do you remember the time when you told me I'd look more sophisticated if I wore my glasses on my forehead, and I walked into a tree? Well... I don't really know how to say it, but..."
"This is something about your new glasses?" Peppermint Patty mused.
"No, not the prescription I have now. That's fine. But... I'm worried about my next one." When Peppermint Patty voiced her confusion, Marcie elaborated. "The prescription I have is the strongest one. Until now, my prescription has been able to grow stronger as my eyesight grown weaker. If my eyesight gets worse... I..."
Marcie froze. Her chest grew tight, and she pressed her palms to her forehead. She could feel the eyes of her classmates boring into her. She could barely breathe. Even if she wanted to speak, there were too many people. Marcie stood up. A single solution had made itself clear.
"Sparkplug!" Marcie cursed. She bolted out of the classroom.
Peppermint Patty quickly excused herself before running after Marcie. The bookish girl was a fast runner, and she had a head start, but Peppermint Patty had been training for baseball season all year. The sporty teen was able to catch up to the bookworm in no time. Marcie ducked behind a bank of lockers.
Peppermint Patty stopped and turned to face her friend. She calmly wiped the tears from her friends eyes. "If your eyesight gets worse, what will happen?"
Marcie took off her glasses and rubbed them on her shirt. "If my eyesight gets worse, there will be nothing I can do about it. There are no stronger lenses that can make up for my natural sight. You wouldn't be able to understand my concern. You've never worn glasses, but I'll try to explain anyway. At 20/40, meaning I can see things at 20 feet most people can see at 40 feet, I'm not allowed to drive. I want to get a driver's license, but what's the use if I can only use it for a few years? I don't want to be blind. I want to do things myself. I just want... I just want to see!"
With the weight of the words off her chest, Marcie threw herself into her best friend's arms. Peppermint Patty held Marcie, letting her friend relax. Though the metal arms dug into Peppermint Patty's side, she kept her friend safe. The bell for first period rang, but Peppermint Patty told Marcie she didn't have to go to class until she was ready to. Anybody who stared at the two received a cold, harsh glare from Peppermint Patty.
Eventually, Marcie lifted her head. Peppermint Patty gave her a strong hug. "Kid, I want you to know three things. One: You're probably right about losing your sight. Two: You are strong enough to get through any challenge life throws at you. You will find a way to adapt for any sight that you may lose. Three: If you ever feel that you can't find a way to adapt, you have a best friend who is always willing to help you pick up the pieces. Understand?"
"Yea." Marcie squeezed herself out of Peppermint Patty's grasp. "But until I go blind, we still have to go to class."
Peppermint Patty groaned, "Do we have to?"
In response, Marcie put her glasses back on and started walking to their next class. Peppermint Patty grinned. Of course Marcie would insist on going to class. This determination was what kept their friendship so strong. It was a mutual agreement to never give up. As Peppermint Patty grudgingly followed her best friend to class, she knew that she would stay friends with that bookish girl, no matter what came their way.
AN: This is my attempt at a Hurt/Comfort fic featuring the characters Marcie and Peppermint Patty. The idea of having the story be about Marcie's eyesight came from applying my personal life being applied to Marcie. Yes, I wear glasses. Yes, I've worn them since I was a baby. No, my eyesight isn't as bad as Marcie's. Since my eyesight isn't as bad as Marcie's, it took me a while to think of Marcie having the strongest lenses available. Originally, she was going to be getting bifocals. Then I did some research and found out kids getting bifocals is actually a regular thing. I eventually got the current idea and the result is what you just read.
What did you think of the story? Do you wear glasses? I'd be delighted to know the answer to that question in your review!