Chapter 2: Takuya becomes a true friend.
I woke up the next morning and I just remember feeling someone's hand on my face. "Well; good morning sleepy head, how are you feeling?" Takuya said as he looked down at me and I could tell he was cheerful. "I'm fine." I replied as I stretched, then yawned and got up from my bed; then put my glasses back on as I didn't want the other kids to stare. We started the day with school work since it was the only thing to keep us going...I couldn't say the same thing for me though; since I didn't understand how to read brail. "I can't do this!" I said, crying as I ran out...almost running into a wall if it wasn't for Takuya grabbing me before I could do that and guiding me back to my bed, mind Takuya nearly fell on his backside when he grabbed me as I was going to run into a wall.. When we made it there; I was helped onto the bed and we sat down and I could hear the rain going on outside, pouring down. Now, we had rain in Odiba, but...we never had this much rain before. Mind; it was literally pouring down that it was making the window wet from the excess rain getting in and falling onto the floor. Thank goodness that there wasn't any electrical wiring there...that would have definitely been nasty!
"Are you okay now Zoe?" Takuya asked me as Miss Moriarty came in to check how I was. "Yeah, I'm fine...I'm not used to doing this, reading brail...I don't get how to read that." I said, hanging my head down in shame. "I'll tutor you Zoe; I'll teach you how to read brail in the books...It is pretty easy to learn how to read brail." Miss Moriarty said. "You will? Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!" I said, tears rolling down my face. "No problem, you two just stay here and chat for a while; there's nothing else to do except for teach...but yes; I'll do that with you Zoe, I'll teach you how to read brail." Miss Moriarty said as she walked back into the room which they used for a classroom. "Can I ask you something?" I asked Takuya; who turned to me. "Yeah, sure; go ahead Zoe." He chirped. "Do you...um, like music?" I asked him, "Sure; I LOVE music...I love listening to music all the time." He replied as he bounced up and down. "What bands do you like?" I asked him, "Well; you know, all mostly rock/heavy metal bands." He said as I was intrigued. "What's yours?" He asked me as I gasped. "Oh, I have loads; Metallica, Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, Queen, Motorhead, ACDC among others." I replied; listing the favourites from the top of my head. Takuya made me feel safe and he was the bestest friend that I ever had...I never had any friends. "Wow, I love Metallica. What's your favourite song? Mine's Enter Sandman." Takuya said, getting excited. "Well, if you can pass me my bag, it's under my bed, grab my 8GB MP3 player out that I got for my birthday last year and we'll listen to some Metallica." I replied as I smiled.
"Sure!" He chirped again, but he decided to not bother getting the bag and grabbed my wrist. "C'mon Zoe, I've got something to show ya!" Takuya said as he hobbled on his crutches to the disabled toilets and I followed him behind as he put my hand on his top...making sure I didn't get lost. Once we got there; he helped me inside and I was wondering why we were standing in someplace else. "Where...where are we?" I asked him as he smiled. "We're in the disabled toilets...there is something I've been wanting to say since I got to know you." Takuya said as I nodded. "I um...love you." He said as I pondered it. "Wow...I've never had anybody say that to me before...I mean, they usually back off cos I'm blind or when I wasn't blind, they thought I was dumb." I said, absolute hurt as I remembered the words they called me back in school. "Hey, it's okay; I won't judge ya, I'm always here for ya Zoe!" Takuya said as he walked forward and planted his lips on mine and then backed off. "I...I don't know what to say, honestly." I said as I tried to look for him. "I'm here." He said, replying as he moved forward and grabbed my hands, placing one of them on his face. "You're cute." I said as he blushed, "How do you know that? Just by touching my face?" He asked as I nodded. "I could tell that you're cute, just by your facial expressions when I touched your face." I replied as we got back to the bedroom, he grabbed my MP3 player out and we just sat...laid there, listening to the music and singing along to the lyrics.
But, there is one thing I'm really afraid of, and that's thunder and lightning...I hate it and it drives me insane since it hurts my ears. Takuya saw me jump at the slightest sound of the lightning and thunder and I whimpered, rolling up into a ball and then cried. "Shh...it's okay, I'm here." Takuya said as he just watched me be completely scared of a little bit of thunder and lightning and grabbed a hold of me, putting me into a cuddle. Everytime I heard it; it was almost reliving the car crash everytime and Miss Moriarty came in and saw what was going on. "What's wrong sweetie?" She asked me as I kept crying and crying and my head just became a human pimple – turning absolute red; that's how much crying I was doing. "She's scared of the thunder and lightning...it's making her relive the car crash." Takuya said as I stopped crying, but I had a massive headache. "Here sweetie; this should calm the headache down." Miss Moriarty said as she handed me some standard aspirin tablets and Takuya helped me with them. "Thank you..." I said, very shaky. "Why don't you get some rest? I'll wake you up when it's time for dinner okay?" She asked me as I nodded and I collapsed into Takuya's arms and fell asleep as he was rocking me back and forth. "You're not gonna do yourself any good." Miss Moriarty said as he smiled and he lay back on the bed and went to sleep as well. "Goodnight Zoe." Takuya said, whispering to me as I mumbled and turned to my side; where Miss Moriarty took my glasses off and put them somewhere safe.
"Zoe, Takuya, time to wake up dears; it's time for dinner." She said; and as she promised; she did wake us up for when it was time for dinner. Takuya and I sat down at the nearest table and because there weren't many of us at the table, most of the kids were sat at their beds, reading comic books or playing board games with another, so we sat together; laughing from jokes and just enjoying our presences together. "You know what Takuya, it feels like we're kindred spirits...it feels like I've known you for years...but in reality; I've only known you for two/three days." I said; laughing after we had finished our meals. We sat back down and Miss Moriarty came out with the clay which was supposed to be used for art class...but wasn't since there isn't an art class and I managed my way over...almost bumping into a few other kids in the meantime...but they understood that I was blind and didn't mock me. I sat down and I could sense that she was smiling at me. "What are you going to make Zoe?" She asked me as I shrugged and said that I didn't know...we had tons of the stuff and it took me five days; but I got it done...and I had made a portrait of Takuya's head. "Wow...that's amazing!" Takuya said as he grabbed my hands. "This is how I see you." I replied as I kissed him back. "What's that for?" Takuya asked as Koji scowled at both of us; but we didn't pay much attention. "That's for kissing me before...I love you too Takuya." I replied as he smiled at me and hugged me. We spent the next few hours just literally talking...about a lot of stuff, I really opened up to Takuya and let him know that I was ready for him to open up as well, let me know what really bothers him etc, and he did.
"Okay kids; lights out." Miss Moriarty said as we laid back down on my bed and she came over. "Time for bed Takuya; let's get you back to your own bed." She said as he nodded. "Goodnight my angel." He said; which actually did make me blush even more. I fell asleep before the others and Takuya, since Takuya liked to read books in bed, I loved doing that when I could see, but now I can't, and it's really frustrating. I was waking up in the middle of the night; waking all the kids up and Takuya understood why I was having these nightmares. He walked over to me and saw that even though I had fallen back to sleep; I had arched my head a little bit and had my face cringed up in pain. I was reliving the nightmare again and again. "Make it stop!" I screamed. "It hurts, it hurts...mommy, please stop it!" I said, crying and holding my pillow over my head. "Zoe...Are you okay?" Takuya asked me as he saw me in pain.
I settled down soon after, but Takuya stayed by my side. He fell asleep, but Miss Moriarty told him to go back to bed, which made Takuya wonder; had the pain really gone, or has the pain completely been there all the time, I haven't took notice of it? I wasn't waking up the next day...in fact; they were absolute surprised that I was so tired and I slept for three days, not taking a drink of water or any food. Takuya wandered around and then picked up his little stash of comic books and mangas and came over to me. I told him that he was welcome to use my MP3 player since I had tons of batteries in my bag, ready to change when they let you know they need changing. So he sat down and quietly listened to Queen, Metallica and other artists that we loved, and read the mangas and comic books...or just go to the table and draw...sometimes he would draw me or he would draw the whole room. He's really a good artist; he should become a pro one day. Me, well; I don't know. Since I became blind; I haven't got a clue what I want to do...what is there? I mean, what can I do? I woke up later that day and saw everyone in the class; so instead of disturbing the class after I woke up; ten minutes later; I grabbed the books of brail and tried to read it by myself, and I amazed myself. I could literally read a book which had brail in it.
"Zoe, you're...reading a book, does that mean that you can read brail?" Takuya asked as he came from the boy's bathroom. "Yeah, I can...I'm shocked, I didn't think I could do that by myself." I replied as I continued to run my fingers over the brail and I knew what was what...don't ask me why or how; I just did. I continued to read the books that were in brail and even as the kids came out; they stood shocked that I was reading...Miss Moriarty came out and gasped. "Zoe...you're reading!" She beamed as I nodded, then got back to reading it. I have to admit, I'm enjoying this new learning experience...I didn't think that I could do that by myself...but I proved myself wrong on this occasion.
