C.C. McKenna

Chapter Three Disenchanted.

"It wasn't her fault... you know" Karen spoke quietly while she finished Phoebe's clean-up. "Leslie deliberately made her fall"

Phoebe shook her head and sighed. "Leslie's never gonna change" She whispered, still thinking about the unpleasant incident. "But I bet it was funny though" Phoebe smirked.

"Phoebe! How can you say that?" Karen playfully slapped Phoebe on her forearm. "Leslie's been a real bitch to her since she got here"

"When exactly did she get here?" Phoebe unfolded the silver stick and searched for the door

Karen followed Phoebe closely, holding her by the elbow. "I guess she arrived here a month or two before your accident, but she tried up for the team just three months ago"

"And why didn't we...or I, notice her back then? And why is everybody being so nasty to her?" Phoebe stopped for a moment and tried to listen carefully to every single sound outside the rest rooms, just to figure out where was she supposed to go; but music, laughter, voices and all kind of different noises kept coming from all over the place and made it difficult for her to concentrate. "Ok, I need some help here, I'm a little lost" She smiled while standing still.

Karen, who had been patiently waiting for Phoebe to decide on her own which way to go; because she wanted to let her friend do things by herself and not to make her feel useless, softly grabbed Phoebe's hand and squeezed it. "This way" she pulled Phoebe's arm and gently turned her by the shoulders.

"Thanks" Phoebe continued walking; sliding the cane from side to side on the floor.

Alexia watched them closely from a short distance; She was sitting alone, trying hard to concentrate in her studies, but with no avail; she was a little hurt by the way the sightless girl had treated her, nevertheless, she felt sorry for Phoebe Halliwell.

"I don't know why most of the girls in school don't like her" Karen placed an arm around Phoebe's shoulder and walked beside her. "Maybe it's the fact that Leslie doesn't like her because she feels threatened by Alexia's good looks; or the fact that she is from England, or maybe even because she took your place in the team" Karen shrugged her shoulders while they walked slowly by Alexia's side. Karen looked into the lonely girl's eyes for a moment and smiled nervously at her. Alexia didn't return the smile.

"Or maybe it's because she's a real bitch!" Phoebe commented; not realizing what was going on between her friend and the British girl. "I mean....there's got to be a reason, right?"

"Well yeah, but I don't think that's the reason Phoebe; she seems ok; I know for a fact that Leslie's boyfriend, Josh, has been harassing her, upsetting her, but she just keeps rejecting him"

"Well, I wouldn't know about that" Phoebe said without any remorse. "I don't really know the girl, so I wouldn't know what to think"

"Besides, Josh is a real jerk" Karen stated. "He's always trying to cheat on Leslie; so I believe her" Karen spoke her mind and shrugged. "What classes do you have? Where do you want me to take you?"

"Can't remember; will you please look inside my locker? The schedule is taped inside somewhere on the door"

"Sure, come on"

-o-o- o-o-o-o-

"Piper, we're home!" Prue closed the door and guided Phoebe into the living room. "Need anything baby?" Prue tossed her black leather purse on the foyer's table and dropped the keys on the ashtray.

"No, I'm fine" Phoebe sighed. "Where's Piper?"

"I don't know, but I'll go find her; you sure you don't want a drink or something?"

"Well, ok, I'll have some orange juice"

"Hey you two!; how did it go?" Piper came out of the kitchen. "Sorry, I was on the phone; it was Karen"

"Oh really? What did she say?" Phoebe folded her cane and rested her feet on the sofa.

"She wanted to know how did your appointment with the doctor go" Piper leaned on the sofa and bent down to kiss her sister's head.

Phoebe's bright face suddenly turned gloomy. "The same as always" She sighed. "But we all knew that, didn't we?"

Piper shook her head and silently turned to Prue for an answer.

Prue's eyes connected with Piper's and sighed. "He said that everything was physically ok; he even suggested her to go and see a friend of his; a Psychoanalyst, to be more precise; uhmmm, he thinks that she must still be holding something deep inside her mind that's unconsciously blocking her sight." Prue shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know what to think anymore"

"But what else did he say? Did he check her eyes thoroughly? Piper threw both hands to the air. "Did he?!?!"

"Hello, I'm not gone you know; I'm still in the room" Phoebe snapped sarcastically. "And F.Y.I., I won't go to see a shrink, I so don't need one!"

"It's ok sweetie" Piper held Phoebe's hand and gently squeezed it to calm her down.

"She's right Prue, she doesn't need a shrink; maybe if we take her to another doctor?"

"Piper, this is the fourth doctor we've seen; and all of them have suggested the same thing" She pulled her hair back and kept her hand on her head for a few seconds. "Her blindness is, is not caused by a physical disorder,.........it's psychological!"

"Stop it you two; remember me?; The invisible sister?; I'm fine, I'm really getting used to this blind deal"

"Are you out of your mind Phoebe?" Piper held her by the shoulders. "You can't be serious" She sat on the floor and rubbed her sister's knee. "Don't talk like that, I'm not going to accept that"

"Piper, It's no big deal; I've been back in school for more than a month, and I really know my way around now, so,... everything's cool"

"But Phoebe, you....."

"No buts" I'm fine., really" Phoebe covered her sister's hand with hers and smiled gently. "I'm going to my room now; I'd like to listen to some music and rest for a while before dinner"

"Careful" Prue couldn't help to warn her baby sister; even though she new she was absolutely capable of doing anything on her own now, despite of her sightlessness; but Prue was Prue.....the eldest, the responsible one; just Prue"

Phoebe lifted her arm and waved without answering; Prue smiled confidently as she watched her baby sister skillfully finding her way throughout the house.

"Aren't you worried?" Piper glared at her big sister and then back to the little one.

"Are you kidding?" Prue's smile suddenly vanished. "I'm always worried!"

Tbc