I was…encouraged…to continue this. Hope you enjoy. :)


Can't explain what's come over me, come over me
Can't explain why it's so hard for me, so hard to see your side


Lockers rooms were the worst room in the school, for two reasons.

First, the smells. Everything from body odor to bad breath would congeal in the very walls of the gym locker room. And Quinn could smell every single one of them. She could even tell which were new.

Second, the girls.

You would think being blind would award consideration. But that wasn't the case with high school girls. They seemed to be even more ruthless, whispering passive insults loud enough to be heard. Everyone knew that, despite her sight, she had fantastic hearing. So their words only stung harder.

She had learned to let the insults roll off her back.

But it didn't mean she didn't hear them.

Slipping her shirt over her head, she kept the garment close to hide her chest. She had never seen her own body, but she knew to keep it hidden. And she knew it wasn't perfect. The title of "tater-tits" had alerted her to that at the beginning of the semester. Swapping her gym shirt for her top was quick, the stiff cotton shirt contrasting sharply to the soft, home laundered one of her own.

"LADIES! Two minutes!" The teacher's voice boomed from the entrance and the girls went quiet momentarily until the door shut once again. Then the roar was back, consuming her every thought.

"But then I heard that she went over to Ronnie Jones' house and didn't leave until the next morning." Quinn listened absent-mindedly, happy that the conversation wasn't about her today.

"Isn't she dating Bobby?" The dialogue was scattered around the room, girls joining in at random. The names didn't matter; they were all the same in the head. They all had the same useless gossip bouncing around their brains.

"Ya, last I heard."

"Shit, she's such a dirty slut." Laughs broke out and Quinn flinched, the sounds busting her ears like snare drums.

"Speaking of slut…" Their voices gathered closer, as if they were trying to keep their conversation hidden despite the acoustics. "…I heard that Trina Adams had sex with Billy Darley at that party on Saturday." There were a few shocked inhales, followed by tiny giggles. It wasn't surprising, really, that Billy had slept with someone. But Quinn's face lit up like a flame regardless.

Hiding her blush, she ducked into the small locker and caught her breath. It had been a few weeks since she'd discovered him in the alley, but the afternoon's events had been on her mind everyday since.

It didn't seem real that he'd been in her living room. That he'd let her touch his face. That he had trusted her.

Kissed her.

"If sleepin' with Billy makes you a slut, half the senior class are sluts." One girl giggled.

"Well then I guess that makes me a slut…" A chorus of gasps and giggles made Quinn close her eyes. It made her feel dirty, losing her first kiss to Billy Darley. It wasn't as sacred as her virginity, but it still put a lump in her gut. More so because she'd enjoyed it.

She had even dreamt about it.

His lips were burned into her memory and she could remember how he tasted. And it made her sick. She didn't want to remember those things.

"What's her deal?" The words were so quiet she'd barely heard them. But the whisper drifted to her ears and Quinn immediately knew who they were talking about. Her.

"She's all red." Closing her locker, Quinn took her cane and made her way to the exit. The gym floor would be loud, blocking out all comprehensive conversation. That was the ultimate peace: so much noise she couldn't untangle the snide comments.

It didn't make much sense that she even had to go to gym. She couldn't play the games; she couldn't participate with the others. But the teacher had tried to solve the problem, tying a volleyball net at waist height to one set of bleachers. Then he'd strung it across the room to the other side. And Quinn ran. One hand on the taunt lead, she would run along the net, thinking about nothing. On the plus side, it was exercise. But it made her feel utterly alone.

The net was rough. It felt endless as it unwound under her palm. The running made her sweat and pant, but it also gave her time to think. And lately, she'd had plenty on her mind.

They wanted to accelerate her graduation. The principle and several of her teachers had told her parents she was far above a sophomore's education level, that she needed to be bumped up. They'd been proud of her, but also hesitant. She was already different; her parents knew skipping a grade would only single her out further. Since then, it had weighed on her.

The sounds of the gym and the buzzing in her brain had taken her away from that net. And then suddenly she was back again, slamming head on into a wall. But it wasn't a wall.

Quinn cried out, her hand leaving the net to reach out for the floor. But her hands never touched the cold hardwood. Someone was clutching her forearms, keeping her upright.

"Jesus, Squint. Watch where ya goin'." Billy's voice was quiet; He wasn't ridiculing her aloud like usual. Opening her mouth, Quinn fished for a response, her feet slowly finding balance once again.

"Mr. Darley, can I help you with something?" The gym teacher interrupted the chaos of the class chatter, the large room lulling into silence. Billy released Quinn's arms and his shoes moved away, into the middle of the court.

"No." He grunted in response, walking in the direction of the second exit. It was common for the tougher kids to hang out behind the school, but only Billy was bold enough to walk through a class to do so. The teacher didn't have anything to retort, so the class murmured for a moment, suspended in stunned reverence until the exit door squeaked open. When it slammed shut, the girls were humming.

Quinn's face was on fire, her arm's tingling from where he'd been holding them. He'd stepped right into her path, blatantly. And that meant something to her. Not only that, but she'd run straight into him. She recalled her face bouncing hard and couldn't believe it had been his body. Her cheeks were still ringing from the contact and she rubbed them unconsciously.

Billy had gone from being on her mind to in her way.


At night, people go to sleep. And in it's own way, so does the city. Not just the chatter of the streets or the roar of traffic, but everything. The sun sets, the temperature drops, the animals hush, and the air holds its breath. Everything sleeps, even if it's for just a moment.

For someone cursed with extensive hearing, the night is a relief. Quinn found solace in those serene blank evenings. When her parents were long asleep, she would crawl out of bed and sneak out onto the back stoop. There, in the light chill, she would listen. Eyes closed, smile on her face, she would just sit.

The habit had become a ritual. She couldn't sleep without a minute on that stoop. Her mind wouldn't unwind and allow her peace. So she found herself there every night.

Everything is calm at night.

Normally.

That night it was quiet until Quinn picked up on sirens. They were faint, and nearly missed, but they were there, blaring their endless wails into the quiet streets. She frowned, confused by the intrusion of such a harsh sound. But her irritation was brief. The patter of heavy footsteps broke through, alerting her to someone running. Fast.

Jumping fences towards her yard.

She wanted to hide, but her body froze with fear. Her mind scrambled, telling her to stay still. Maybe if she didn't move, whoever was sprinting in her direction would miss her altogether and continue on, unaware of her presence. But her logic told her that was impossible. Her house sat on pathetic patch of grass. She'd been in bathroom stalls that were larger. Whoever was barreling straight at her would definitely see her, and she was a sitting duck.

A blind sitting duck.

But her moment of escape had passed, and Quinn clutched her knees as the footsteps arrived at her neighbor's yard. A swish of denim and a thud of feet followed, and the runner was standing in her backyard.

Then he wasn't moving anymore.

Quinn wanted to say something, something to toughen her up. There were many things she could say. But none of them would come out of her mouth. All she could muster was a dry swallow, and shaking exhales.

The stranger panted for a moment, then snorted.

"The fuck are ya doin' outside at one in the mornin'?" Quinn gave an audible sigh of relief.

"God." She whispered, covering her forehead with a hand. "Billy." He gave another quick snort, sniffles punctuating his light panting.

"Ya didn't answer the question, Squint." She relinquished a small smile, her heart still pounding in her chest.

"You have no right to ask me what I'm doing in my own yard." She said gently, standing carefully from her seated position. "If anything, you owe me an explanation." Billy snorted a third time, his boots shuffling closer.

"None of your business." He replied; the rubbing of denim put him only a few feet away. He had no problem getting near her now. That was obvious. Shaking her head, Quinn gestured to her right, in the direction of the faint police sirens.

"Something to do with the cops…" Billy gave a light laugh.

"Whatever. I was bored of that party anyway." Quinn nodded, feigning understanding. But she had no clue; she wished she did. The only parties she'd gone to were the birthday parties with her family. She had never gone to a high school house party.

"What?" Billy interrupted her thoughts, bringing her back to the present. Shaking her head, she cleared her face of emotion.

"Why were the cops at your party?" Billy gave her a deeper laugh. Then there was the flick of a lighter and Quinn wrinkled her nose. Of course he was smoking.

"Wasn't my party, Squint. I don't throw the parties, I just show up." She nodded again, realizing she'd heard plenty of stories about Billy showing up at parties. But she'd never heard anything about Billy throwing one. "Some fuckin' idiot threw one because his parent's were outta town." He added, exhaling deeply and casting a cloud of smoke into the air. The smell didn't immediately hit her, but it crept over to her nose eventually, the scent familiar. It was his scent. Instead of bothering her, Quinn was surprised that she didn't mind it.

"Anyway, goddamn neighbors called the cops." He finished, hissing the rest of the smoke angrily through his lips. "And Bones'd kick my ass for somethin' that stupid." Quinn frowned at the name.

"Bones?" Billy said nothing for a moment, as if he'd given something away, then he took a drag, the end of the cigarette crinkling in the silence.

"My old man." He said softly, sighing the smoke out. Quinn nodded, rubbing her arms. It wasn't cold outside, but she was getting more and more self-conscious. She was wearing nothing but a t-shirt and shorts, leaving very little barrier between her and Billy's eyes. It reminded her of slamming into him in the gym. Every inch of her body had been pressed to him. It was only for a split second, but it had been the closest she'd ever been to another person. Especially a person of the opposite sex.

And that thought made her cheeks flush with warmth.

"What?" Billy asked again, his tone going from passive to aggressive in a heartbeat. Quinn shrugged.

"It's a weird name." Taking another drag, he seemed to watch her. It made her uncomfortable, standing in front of him with nothing to say.

"It's just a name." He replied eventually. "Names don't mean shit." Crossing her arms, Quinn took a hesitant step down off of the stoop. She didn't want to fall in front of Billy Darley.

"Then why do you insist on calling me Squint?" She asked pointedly, tilting her face up to where she imaged his to be. When he exhaled, his breath passed her cheek and she turned away. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake the memory of his breath brushing over her fingers.

"What, does it hurt you're feelings?" He teased with a purr, sucking on the end of his smoke. Quinn shrugged her crossed arms.

"It's stupid." Her reply must have shocked him, because Billy didn't move for a moment, his entire presence silent. Then he lowered his cigarette, leaning into her.

"I like it." He murmured, his words ghosting over her temple. Taking a step back, Quinn looked up into his face again.

"I don't squint." His shirt moved in what she assumed was a shrug.

"So?"

"So…it's stupid." He didn't respond, hissing smoke into the air. A long awkward silence passed between them and Quinn started to worry about what he was thinking. What was he looking at as he stood a few feet from her? Shaking her head, she quickly leapt to a new topic. "So what was wrong with the party?" She chewed the inside of her lip, turning her head towards the sirens. Their volume had decreased, but the sound still remained in the distance.

"Bunch of freshman, barely any booze. Put the pieces together." Billy murmured in response, moving around her towards the step. Quinn listened to him settle on the stoop, his boots grinding the small pebbles on the ground.

"So you can't have fun unless you're drunk?" She asked with a mutter. Crossing her arms, she fought off a small breeze. Billy said nothing for a moment then he exhaled smoke in her direction.

"I don't get drunk, Squint."

"Stop calling me that." Her words weren't angry, but irritated, quiet in the still air.

"No." He laughed back. Turning her head around, Quinn faced him and dropped her arms.

"Why are you still in my yard?" She asked, a little angrier. His laugh floated over the sirens, deep and smooth.

"Because you're talkin' to me." He took a drag and breathed quietly, probably smirking at her from the stoop. Quinn continued to chew her lip, hating him for acting this way. She wondered why he was being so nice to her. It was a big change from teasing her in class.

"Why did you run?" She asked. Billy stood again, his movements casting warmth across her bare forearms as he neared.

"That's a stupid question." She cocked her head, moving a little closer.

"People say you deal. Is that why you ran?" His lack of reply made her insides squirm. If she wasn't careful, she could cross the threshold from nuisance to liability. But, to her surprise, Billy grunted a laugh.

"I'm not a dealer." Her throat closed a little, disappointment lingering with fear. Turning away, she wished she had her cane. "What's that face?" He demanded suddenly, his voice stern but gentle.

"Nothing." She murmured, padding barefoot across the grass. Taking small steps, she felt her way across the lumpy ground.

"Cough it up, Quinn." He ordered, appearing in her path. When he said her name, a small shiver whispered over her back. It gave her enough courage to tilt her head towards his face.

"You're lying." Billy didn't budge.

"Prove it." Crossing her arms, she inched to her right, the grass tickling the bottoms of her feet.

"Your tone was too high." He followed her lead, blocking her again.

"Ok, Detective. Anything else?" She wrinkled her forehead.

"What?"

"Ya can't prove shit with my voice." Her face slackened in understanding and she shrugged lightly.

"You're right." Then she stepped away, kicking the ground lightly as she went. "But you asked." Billy didn't move and Quinn wandered further.

"Don't figure ya for a rat." He murmured and she smiled a little, turning around to walk back.

"So I was right?" She could practically feel his eyes roll.

"I didn't say that." Smiling larger, she made her way back to the stoop.

"You didn't have to." Then he surprised her again, sitting next to her. The little stair wasn't very wide, so his body was touching hers, denim pressing into her left knee and his arm hair tickling her own. Quinn had to hold back a shiver. The last time he'd been that close, they'd kissed; and she couldn't help but recall the wonderful feelings he'd evoked with his soft mouth.

"It's kinda freaky, ya know." Billy murmured, hissing smoke between his lips into the sky. "The way you can tell things. Things even…" As he trailed off, she blushed.

"Seeing people can't see." They were quiet for a moment, then Billy moved, his body shifting against her. When he spoke again, Quinn realized he'd turned to face her completely.

"Do it." She blinked, turning her head to face his thick bass.

"Do what?" His scent wafted around her in a wild gesture.

"Your little trick." Quinn shook her head, leaning her elbows on her knees.

"I'm not a sideshow act, Billy." He made a groaning sound then sucked harshly on his cigarette.

"I didn't say that, you did." When she didn't respond, his stare started to burn into her temple. The longer he stared, the weaker she became. He was almost playful now, waiting for her to amaze him with her tuned senses.

"You've been drinking." She murmured, tracing the bone in her knee with a finger. Billy remained silent and Quinn took the quiet as an order for more. "Rum, not beer. And you stepped in dog poop when you were jumping fences. He quickly shifted on the step and made a grumbling sound, scraping his boot across the ground. With a small laugh, Quinn listened to him fidget.

"You bought gas recently, your shirt smells like the fumes." Billy held still, sniffing lightly as he confirmed her statement.

"Jesus." He murmured. "You're good." Blushing a little, she crossed her arms over her knees and propped her chin on the perch.

"And I don't think you've slept in a while." That statement left Billy speechless, his breath freezing in his chest. "Plus you're hungry." Quinn barely whispered the final words, her neck burning with a nervous blush. She'd pushed the boundary, and she didn't know how he'd react.

"Fuckin' creepy." Billy whispered. He smoked in silence and Quinn said nothing, listening to the night around them. "I haven't seen my bed in two days." A lump formed in her throat as Billy gently continued. "What gave it away?" She swallowed the lump and hugged her knees closer.

"I don't know. Your breathing, the way you move, your voice." She shrugged. "You sound tired."

"Thanks." Facing Billy, Quinn leant a cheek on her forearm.

"And you smell like…" She sniffed for effect and grinned. "Dollar store perfume." Billy snorted and suddenly he was close again, his scent floating up her nose.

"It was a boring party. Didn't mean I wasn't partying." A smirk was evident in his tone, but Quinn took it in stride. "Nothing happened." He punctuated suddenly, almost sighing the words. She hid the warmth that spread in her stomach.

"I really didn't need to know." As she spoke, a small breeze alerted her to Billy moving away from the stoop. He quickly stood without making a sound. Lifting her head from her arms, she listened as he backed away towards the gate.

"But ya wanted to ask." Quinn wrinkled her nose and shook her head.

"Did not." Expecting a retort, she waited, grinning at the back gate. But no answer came and the expression slowly faded. Focusing her hearing, she called out in the dark. "Billy?" Not a sound.

He was gone.


Yup. Thoughts?

Love to my readers and my reviewers. You guys are amazing.