Education

            Two weeks had passed since Scott's suggestions on how to make Xavier's dream a reality. Practically every night, the two had talked long into the wee hours, discussing what classes they would teach, how many other teachers they would need - the basic administrative details. But now it was time to put Scott's plan in motion, which was why he was now cautiously making his way out Xavier's car at Broad Horizons School for the Blind.

            He had been the new kid before - being a ward of the state meant you went where they told you to go - but he had never been as nervous as he was right then. However, he didn't feel entirely out of place; the school was designed for people that had been able to see, but had suddenly lost the ability. It would teach them sign language, as well as how to use their remaining senses to their advantage.

            "Scott? My name is Leslie; I'm one of the instructors here at school. Please walk forward five steps and reach out your hand." Scott did so, managing to find her outstretched hand. "Now follow me"

            The two walked slowly toward sounds of a classroom, and Scott could hear Leslie's walking stick tapping as they went. He smiled at the thought that the blind was leading the blind, but he knew that one of the reasons Broad Horizons was so effective was because a large number of faculty and staff were also blind. Observing how other blind people were still able to be productive helped the students realize that their lives weren't over just because of the unexpected loss of their sight.

            Scott followed Leslie through the school building and into a classroom. There wasn't any of the customary chatter of students waiting for a class to begin, and Scott knew that was because the rest of the kids were also new to the school. And they were probably just as scared and alone as he was.

            Leslie took his hand and put it down on a desktop.

            "Follow the row two seats back. That desk is empty, and it will be yours, Scott."

            "Thanks."

            He made his way to the desk and sat down. As he did so, he heard a rustling coming from the seat in front of him.

            "Hi...Scott?"

            "Yeah. Hi."

            "My name's Kim Worthington."

            "Nice to meet you."

            "Nice to meet you."

            "I-"

            "All right everyone, let's begin" Scott smiled ruefully, sad that he was interrupted in a conversation with someone who could have been his first friend here, but eager to start learning. 

                                                *                      *                      *

            After class, Leslie walked with him to his room at the school. Describing the exact contents and their locations, she left him to unpack his bags. He started putting what he had already learned into practice, making sure all of his possessions were neatly placed in their proper places. When he finished putting everything away, he zipped the suitcase shut and shoved it under his bed.

            "Time to eat..." He paused to remember the directions to the cafeteria and left in search of food. When he got to the kitchen door, he stopped, unsure of what to do next.

            "Scott?" He turned, startled by the voice at his left.

            "Yeah?"

            "I thought so. You're the only one I haven't met yet. I'm Karen, one of the assistants here. I can help you get food, if you'd like." Although many of the staff were blind, they obviously needed some people who could see, especially to help the new students get acclimated.

            "Sure, that would be great."

            The two went through the line as Karen told Scott what the selections were and put the food on his plate. Then she held out her arm and waited as Scott grabbed at air until he found it. She led him to a nearby table.

            "Scott on your left is Caleb. Across from him is Kim - "

            "Hi, Scott. We already met, Karen."

            "Oh, well that's good! And next to Kim is Mary. Enjoy your dinner."

            "Thank you for your help, Karen."

            "My pleasure. Bye guys!"

            Scott listened to her walk away as the rest of his dinner companions sat silently, obviously nervous about meeting someone new." Finally Kim broke the silence, and Scott had a feeling she was the type that would usually do so.

            "So Scott, your turn to share the horror story. Caleb, here, is congenital disease, I'm car accident injury, and Mary took a bad fall off a horse. What about you? How'd you lose it?

            "Kim...give him a chance to take a bite to eat, at least!"

            "Sorry, Mary! I figure the sooner we get it out of the way, the better."

            "It's okay...uh, Mine's also congenital." Scott frowned to himself. Well, mutations are hereditary...so, sort of, I guess!

            "Welcome to the Club," Caleb patted him on the back. Scott laughed, picked up his fork and dug in. Some things never changed.

                                                *                      *                      *

            The next day, the teachers started the long, hard task of teaching the kids how to read Braille. Scott had no idea it would be so difficult; to him, all the bumps felt the same. He was overjoyed when he learned how to read his name by the end of the day.

            At the end of the day, Scott was exhausted, but he forced himself to go to the common room first. In what was quickly becoming the normal way of things, Kim found him, and the two started talking.

            "So I was born and raised here in Westchester. My family's pretty good, of what I see of them. Dad's always busy with work - he and my uncle own this big company in New York - anyway, and Mom's usually at some charity or another. And I don't have any brothers or sisters. Just my cousin - we're pretty close. What about you?"

            And, surprisingly, Scott found himself telling her the truth - well, at least part of it. He told her about the foster homes and running away ("from an icky legal situation - they wanted to take me away."). Finally, he told her about meeting Xavier, and how greatly he had affected him and helped him decide what he wanted to do with his life.

            "I know who Charles Xavier is. I've never met him, of course, but he knows a lot of the same people that my parents do. From what I've heard, he's a real genius."

            "Amazingly so."

            "It must be pretty intimidating, huh?"

            "Not really. At first, yes. But he has a way about him that makes you feel like you're worthy of the highest praise."

            "He sounds great."

            "Yeah..."

            For the next couple of weeks, the classes got easier and easier as Scott soon learned how to deal as a blind man. At night, he and Kim would sit in the common room and talk, and they soon started doing so later and later into the night.

            And Scott began to feel something. Something almost like what he felt for Nora, and it scared him more than anything. Granted, Nora had never gotten the chance to reject him, but the cynical part of him thought that she would have done so for sure. Which made him fear that, of course, Kim would do. Who would want to date a mutant? No one, and Scott didn't even try to lie to himself otherwise. So he resigned himself to the fact that he would take what he could get from Kim and leave well enough alone. And that saddened him.

            But apparently Kim had other plans. One night when they were talking, Scott's heart stopped beating as she reached out and touched his upper arm. He didn't really know why; it's not like they hadn't touched before. But this time, it just felt so different. His mouth went dry.

            "Scott?" Her voice was almost a whisper. He nodded, before realizing she obviously couldn't see him. He tried to speak, couldn't and cleared his throat.

            "Yeah?"

            "Can I - Can I...touch your face?" Scott felt himself blushing deeply. He knew that touching the facial features was a way that many blind people used to get an idea of what someone looking like.

            "Sure."

            He almost thought she changed her mind because it seemed like an eternity before he felt her warm, soft fingertips brush across his cheekbone. The fingers trailed up until they hit his sunglasses. She followed the rim to his nose and down that over the slight swell of his lips. She went up the other side of his face until she hit the glasses again. The entire time, Scott didn't think his heart beat once.

            "Can I take off your glasses?" Her voice had never sounded so soft.

            And that's when Scott's heart started beating. In fact, it started racing. The tape!"

            "No!" He practically yelped, as Kim's fingers jumped back from his face like they had been burned."

            "I'm sorry." She sounded so hurt that Scott wanted to kick himself. That stupid tape - obviously there for everyone else's protection! He wanted to make his sharp reaction up to her, but could think of only one thing that he wanted to do.

            So he did it.

            He launched himself forward and crushed his lips to her. He only missed her lips by a few centimeters, and they quickly corrected their positions. That kiss was probably the best one Scott had ever had, and his heart hurt because he knew anything with her wouldn't last.

            Finally, they come up for air.

            "D- do you want to feel my face?"

            "I don't need to."

            "What?"

            "I already know you're beautiful." He kissed her again and felt her smile.