Adrien touched his watch, the time reading out to him, and took a deep breath. Now or never. He walked confidently over to the wall, testing a few windows. One finally opened. Yes! He slowly opened it, wincing at the squeaks it made, then hoisted himself up and out. Years of gymnastics allowed him to easily climb and bend. He may not see, but he could act like it sometimes. He gripped the window sill, praying the drop wasn't farther than he expected, then let go.
It was farther, but he managed to land on his feet with a quiet huff. He extended his cane. Now he just needed to make out of the gate. The school was only four blocks down. No turns. In theory, it was simple enough to walk there. There should be a back gate near his room. Adrien stumbled through the growth, not caring that he would most likely end up with twigs and leaves in his hair. Finally, he found the gate and opened it.
He didn't have much time. His father wouldn't cause a scene, so he had to get into school before they noticed he was missing. The sun hit his left side, so he turned right and began to quickly walk down the sidewalk, his cane guiding him.
He was halfway there when he heard a familiar car. He shouldn't be able to recognize a car so easily but sure enough, it stopped beside him and heels clicked on the sidewalk, "Adrien, what are you doing?"
He turned toward Nathalie, "I just want to go to school! Tell father it was too late, tell him I was already in class."
"Adrien…"
There was a noise to his right, the sound of a wooden cane clattering to the ground and the cry of an old man. Adrien frowned, walked over and picked up the cane, "Are you alright sir?"
Adrien held out his hand hesitantly, hoping he was close to the old man. Thankfully, the elder grabbed it and pulled himself up, "Thank you, young man."
Holding out the man's cane, Adrien smiled, "Us walking hazards have to look out for each other."
The old man chuckled and went on his way. Adrien turned back to Nathalie, "Please?"
She tapped her foot, "At least allow me to walk you to school."
Adrien smiled so big he felt like his face would crack. It was the first time in almost a year that he felt like smiling. He honestly wanted to skip to school if that wouldn't end up with him face planting.
Nathalie walked in with him, guiding him when needed, to the principals office, explaining the situation and Adrien's needs. Adrien wasn't really listening. He was too excited. He couldn't believe he convinced her to do this, to lie to his father. Even if it was just for today, it would be worth it.
"Please assure Mr. Agreste that his son is in good hands here. We'll be sure he has an escort to his classes. Ah, Nino!" Principal Damocles called over the young man as he passed by, "You wouldn't mind showing Adrien to his classes, would you?"
Nino glanced at him, noting the random twigs in his hair, dark shades and cane, and shrugged, "Sure dude, uh, I mean sir."
"Great. If there's anything you need Adrien, don't hesitate to ask Nino here."
"Thank you sir."
Nino led him out, eyeing him nervously, "So, uh, do you need to hold my arm or anything?"
"No, I'm actually pretty good at getting around. Just tell me when to turn, preferably not into a pole."
Nino laughed, "First time in a school like this?"
"Yeah, in any school. I was homeschooled. And I only know a little about this school. Are there a lot of visually impaired?"
He shrugged, looking around, "Not as much as hearing impaired. You can't see, but I've got implants to help me hear. I'm congenital, so had the implants since I could talk. Our class is kinda a mix. You've got people like Alya or Chloe that can see and hear fine, but then you have a whole range of people from there. Mari is fully deaf, hears absolutely nothing. Kim, Alix, and Max are partial hearing. Ivan is blind in one eye. So you know, we all kinda help each other."
Adrien felt a small sense of panic. He knew the school was blended in an effort for the kids to help each other learn and grow, but he hadn't thought too much being his own sight issues. How in the world was he expected to talk to someone who was deaf?
Nino seemed to sense his distress, "Hey, don't sweat it dude. The teachers know sign language and braille, totally accommodating. You'll fit right in."
Marinette made it to school on time today with minimal accidents. She sat beside Alya with a smile. Even Chloe seemed to be in a good mood.
"Girl! Guess what I got yesterday?" Aya flashed the newest comic book starring a brightly clad heroine.
Mari chuckled, amused by her friend's passion for superheroes. Nino walked in, catching both girls' attention. Before Alya could launch into her comic again, another boy walked in behind him. Marinette felt a blush creep up as she caught vivid green eyes beneath the glasses he wore. The boy hesitantly found his seat as Nino gave introductions.
"Alya, Marinette, this is my boy Adrien." He quickly signed silently, "He's blind" then continued, "Adrien, directly behind you is my girl Mari and her bestie Alya. Warning you now, Alya is a force to be reckoned with."
Marinette squeaked, but quickly buried her head behind her textbook, Nino and Alya looking at her strangely. Her cheeks burned. How on earth was she supposed to talk to him? He was blind. He obviously didn't know sign language and her ability to read lips was crappy at best. Aya poked her arm, getting her attention.
"What has gotten into you?" Aya asked, though Mari was grateful that it was just through signing.
"Class is starting soon, need to pay attention," She turned away again, blocking any conversation.
Suddenly Chloe burst onto the scene, hugging Adrien and making a big deal out of something. Mari turned to Alya confused.
"Apparently the new kid is her bff. And something about modeling?"
Marinette's eyes widened. She dove into her bag, pulling out a battered fashion magazine. Quickly flipping through her notes and post its, she found the page she was looking for. Agreste Fashions with blind model and son of Gabriel Agreste, Adrien. She stared at the photo, then numbly showed Alya. How did she not recognize him? Marinette loved Agreste Fashions. Not to mention the fact that they used a blind model, it was even rumored that the company strived to employ people that normally got turned away because of their hearing or sight differences. She groaned, sinking further into her chair.
Adrien politely pulled away from Chloe, promising to have lunch at some point. He heard Marinette groan from behind him and he wondered what she was thinking, not that he could very well ask. If she was deaf and he was blind, any sort of conversation that didn't involve other people was impossible. "Hey Nino? What are the girls behind us doing?"
"I don't know. Looks like they're going over some magazine?"
His cheeks grew warm. Leave it to Chloe to tell the whole class about his brief stint as a model. Hopefully, they wouldn't act any different with him.
The day wore on, class was simple, especially compared to the strict lessons Adrien was used to. Marinette tried focusing on the lesson, but her eyes kept drifting to the blond boy in front of her, endless questions rolling in her mind. Finally the day came to a close. Nino walked out with Adrien, Alya rushed home to care for her sisters, Marinette packed up her bags slowly.
It had begun to rain steadily. Mari pulled out her umbrella. Most of the students scattered in the rain, running to cars or homes to stay dry. She noticed Adrien waiting uncertainly on the steps. She could practically feel Alya pushing her towards him, encouraging her to try. She wasn't pre-lingual, she could talk and read lips. All it took was a chance.
Marinette pulled out her umbrella, stepping out into the rain, then stopped and looked back to him. She nodded and stepped toward him, clearing her throat to get his attention. Sightless eyes somehow met hers and she blushed, "A-Adrien, I'm Marinette. I j-just wanted to say that I hope you like it here."
Adrien smiled. A smile that she had never seen in the fashion ads or interviews. One filled with hope and warmth. She quickly focused on the words he was forming. "Thanks Marinette. I...I've never really had friends before. It's all a little new."
"Well now you have three." Suddenly her foot slipped, causing her to crash into adrien. They both toppled to the ground. Marinette gave a cry as she felt him shake. She quickly untangled herself, but stopped when she realized he was laughing. Her shoulders relaxed and she blushed, letting out a nervous giggle. "Sorry. I'm madly clumsy."
A shadow loomed over them and she looked up to see a large imposing man that resembled a gorilla. He helped Adrien stand and walked him to the car. Adrien gave a hopeful wave before disappearing. This was gonna be a great year.
