Firstly, I'd like to thank my friend Susan for editing this for me. She edits all my fics, and I'm really grateful!
I'd just like to say that I don't think that disabled people are portrayed often enough in fics. Though I'm not disabled myself, I think they make as good characters as other people.
Thanks for reading my blurb- please review the fic, even if you hated it. I love reviews! ^-^
Oh yeah, I don't own GW. I wrote to them asking if they'd sell it to me, but all I have is a button, fluff and a few cents. They refused.
The only empty desk in the classroom was in the corner by the window. A girl he hadn't met before sat at the next desk over wearing dark glasses, even in the dim light of November. Quatre moved uncomfortably over to the free desk, all too aware of the curious eyes following him from the rest of the interrupted class. He'd been away for a couple of years, during the wars and sorting out his family's business. He had expected to be met uncertainly, but it made him uncomfortable all the same. The only person not staring at him was her, head on one hand looking idly out through the chilled windowpane, seemingly ignoring everything else. The snow outside may have been manufactured, but it still cast a pleasant wintry look over the landscape, almost as good as the real thing; though since he'd seen snow on Earth, anything else seemed a poor copy by comparison.
"Hello," Quatre said as he sat in the desk. She didn't bother to turn around, but replied anyway.
"Hi. I'm Adia."
"I'm Quatre. I don't know how you can see in here with those sunglasses on."
She laughed, a bitter sound that rolled around the corner they sat in. This was the worst part for her, always. With a swift movement of her arm, she tucked her russet locks behind her ear.
"I guess you wouldn't, being new. With or without them, it's all the same to me." She turned, and pulled them off in one movement. Quatre swallowed, staring at the pearly orbs in her lightly tanned face. Then he looked away, ashamed. It wasn't right to stare at her when she couldn't know and react.
"Stare all you like," Adia told him. Calmly, as though she had read his mind. "I can't see to notice." She put her sunglasses back on to hide the misted spheres that transformed her face.
She was blind, and he'd commented on her vision. Great. Quatre felt awful; a terrible sympathy was settling in his mind. He breathed out deeply, and fumbled for an apology.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"
"Don't. You wouldn't know, and I don't want you digging yourself into a deeper hole than you can get out of," she cut in, smiling grimly. "Call me Dee, if you like. Most people do, though I have to say I hate that name. You new?"
"Yes," he replied thankfully, trying to forget the discomfort of the last few minutes. "I came here before until a couple of years ago, then I had to leave."
"Well, don't look to me for help with your work, I'm afraid," she said cheerily. "I can't see to help you anyway."
"How can you joke about it?" he asked before he could stop himself, then sat in silence as she considered his question. He should have thought about it before he had spoken. It had somehow offended him to see her talk so lightly about what had caused him so much embarrassment.
"Because I'm used to it. I'm 17 years old now, and it happened when I was nine. I got ill and it blinded me, so here I am. I have a Braille keyboard on my laptop, so I get along alright." She pulled the computer from a drawer beneath the desk, then reached over and pulled out his. "Mine's special- you'll have a normal one."
"Oh, alright." Flipping open the lid, he sat down ready to type as the teacher picked up the lesson plan.
Adia grinned, then moved her fingers to her keyboard, fumbling for the 'home keys'. He picked up her hands and put the fingers on the right keys, then turned back to his.
"I don't need your help or pity," she retorted, trying not to be grateful. Quatre understood. If he felt helpless, he wouldn't want anyone else to know it, either.
I'd just like to say that I don't think that disabled people are portrayed often enough in fics. Though I'm not disabled myself, I think they make as good characters as other people.
Thanks for reading my blurb- please review the fic, even if you hated it. I love reviews! ^-^
Oh yeah, I don't own GW. I wrote to them asking if they'd sell it to me, but all I have is a button, fluff and a few cents. They refused.
The only empty desk in the classroom was in the corner by the window. A girl he hadn't met before sat at the next desk over wearing dark glasses, even in the dim light of November. Quatre moved uncomfortably over to the free desk, all too aware of the curious eyes following him from the rest of the interrupted class. He'd been away for a couple of years, during the wars and sorting out his family's business. He had expected to be met uncertainly, but it made him uncomfortable all the same. The only person not staring at him was her, head on one hand looking idly out through the chilled windowpane, seemingly ignoring everything else. The snow outside may have been manufactured, but it still cast a pleasant wintry look over the landscape, almost as good as the real thing; though since he'd seen snow on Earth, anything else seemed a poor copy by comparison.
"Hello," Quatre said as he sat in the desk. She didn't bother to turn around, but replied anyway.
"Hi. I'm Adia."
"I'm Quatre. I don't know how you can see in here with those sunglasses on."
She laughed, a bitter sound that rolled around the corner they sat in. This was the worst part for her, always. With a swift movement of her arm, she tucked her russet locks behind her ear.
"I guess you wouldn't, being new. With or without them, it's all the same to me." She turned, and pulled them off in one movement. Quatre swallowed, staring at the pearly orbs in her lightly tanned face. Then he looked away, ashamed. It wasn't right to stare at her when she couldn't know and react.
"Stare all you like," Adia told him. Calmly, as though she had read his mind. "I can't see to notice." She put her sunglasses back on to hide the misted spheres that transformed her face.
She was blind, and he'd commented on her vision. Great. Quatre felt awful; a terrible sympathy was settling in his mind. He breathed out deeply, and fumbled for an apology.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"
"Don't. You wouldn't know, and I don't want you digging yourself into a deeper hole than you can get out of," she cut in, smiling grimly. "Call me Dee, if you like. Most people do, though I have to say I hate that name. You new?"
"Yes," he replied thankfully, trying to forget the discomfort of the last few minutes. "I came here before until a couple of years ago, then I had to leave."
"Well, don't look to me for help with your work, I'm afraid," she said cheerily. "I can't see to help you anyway."
"How can you joke about it?" he asked before he could stop himself, then sat in silence as she considered his question. He should have thought about it before he had spoken. It had somehow offended him to see her talk so lightly about what had caused him so much embarrassment.
"Because I'm used to it. I'm 17 years old now, and it happened when I was nine. I got ill and it blinded me, so here I am. I have a Braille keyboard on my laptop, so I get along alright." She pulled the computer from a drawer beneath the desk, then reached over and pulled out his. "Mine's special- you'll have a normal one."
"Oh, alright." Flipping open the lid, he sat down ready to type as the teacher picked up the lesson plan.
Adia grinned, then moved her fingers to her keyboard, fumbling for the 'home keys'. He picked up her hands and put the fingers on the right keys, then turned back to his.
"I don't need your help or pity," she retorted, trying not to be grateful. Quatre understood. If he felt helpless, he wouldn't want anyone else to know it, either.