Regina is the girl who was born different. She's always seemed to have the worst luck. She was born blind, giving her plenty of time to figure out people for their personalities. She never understood the Pretty/ Ugly routine but like other Uglies, she cannot wait for the surgery. Not to be Pretty, but to finally see and get what the world's about. Then an unfortunate, or fortunate, thing happens. Regina hit's that one billion percent and her surgery fails. Her eyes surgery goes wrong, leaving her still blind. If things don't get bad enough for Regina, other Pretties don't wish to be seen with a blind girl, leaving her alone in new Pretty town, a total Nobody.
When things seemed to hit their worst, Regina finally makes a friend, Peter, one who is most mysterious. He won't let her touch him or let himself be seen by anyone else. He tells her fictional stories of a group named the Smoke, how they are a group of older Uglies who don't believe in the surgery. He tries to convince Regina that she is different than the other Pretties but Regina won't believe him. Just because she can't see, does not make her any more different. One day, Peter disappears and does not return until a few weeks later. He tells her to come to the Smoke if she values her life. Either come to the Smoke or die.
Nobody's
Chapter One
Sightless
For many girls, the morning stared with brushing, combing and dressing in their very best. Well, as far as their very best would take them. The problem with being Ugly, was that sometimes the very best just wasn't good enough. No matter how an Ugly dressed, it was never Pretty, never like the beautiful faces and stylish fashion trends of New Pretty Town. It was a problem that Ugly's could never wait to be rid of.
A problem that never bothered Regina Hathwood.
Regina's eyes did not work like most, missing out her sleek brown hair, dull icy blue eyes, her thin lips, short stature or scattered pimples. Instead she only saw darkness. That's how Regina's world had been her whole life, nothing but one large blank. Since Regina could not see, looking Pretty was not on her agenda, though if she told that to anyone they would have called her crazy.
Chewing away on a toothpaste pill, she brushed her hair as she sat on her bed. 'No use for a mirror,' she joked to herself, smiling some as she laughed lightly at her own joke. Placing the brush aside on her dressing table, so she would be able to find it, her interface ring let off a soft ping. Glancing over at it, she listened to her younger sister talk about how an older Ugly tried to run her over with a Hover board. She cut off the message half way through, not interested at the time to hear her little sister whine. It only put her in a sour mood.
Placing a palm against a near wall, she made her way around the room, trying to find her walking stick. Regina had been teased by a few inconsiderate Ugly for it, though she never bothered to argue back. It couldn't be very trendy to carry around such a Rusty contraption. After a few minutes of searching, taking longer than usual, she found the end and made her way up to the handle. The walking stick had fallen from its perch and laid sprawled on the floor. A small blush danced across her cheeks as she thought about how foolish she must look at that moment, on her hands and knee's, fumbling for her metal cane.
So she moved into a sitting position and picked up her cane, incase anyone decided to walk in on her. Once she sat, she paused to think. 'Just one more day,' Regina thought to herself, 'one more day until my surgery.' It wasn't that Regina was finally glad to be pretty, unlike all the other girls her age. She wanted something so much more special. She wanted to understand the world, understand why being pretty was such a big deal. And to do that, she had to see.
-x-x-x-x-x-
The day of Regina's surgery didn't come fast enough. Regina stood outside, fiddling with her walking stick, knowing that very shortly she would never need the old thing again. A small smile crossed her lips. Never again when she made a small slip of the tongue would she be called weird or a creep. She would be accepted. Just like everyone else.
"Someone seems eager," Mrs. Hutch said, a teacher who had been asked to help escort Regina to her surgery, noticing Regina's beaming smile.
Regina didn't reply, just kept smiling as she heard the whirring sound of a hover car approaching. She could barely contain her excitement. Being one of the eldest Uglies of her year there, she knew she would be the envy of many Uglies left. This small fact alone put her into a giddy mood. As the hover car landed, Regina waited until Mrs. Hutch gave her arm a small tug signaling that it was safe to climb on.
Instead of Mrs. Hutch guiding her over Regina practically dragged her on. Mrs. Hutch just gave a light laugh to Regina's eagerness. As the hover car lifted off into the air, Mrs. Hutch leaned over and whispered in her ear, "I wish you could see how pretty New Pretty Town looks."
"I will soon," Regina whispered back, a wide grin spreading across her face as she spoke.
