Zac sat limply in his seat. His pants getting wet from the damp cement he was sitting on.
He had sat there when the sun had set. Well, when he thought the sun had set, he felt the air get colder, so he assumed that it had.
That's what he was going to have to base his life on from now on. Assumptions. Assuming everything, because he wouldn't be able to see the proof.
"Seeing is believing." He quoted miserably to himself.
He had sat there even when it had rained as well. Not a hard rain though, but more like, light drizzle. It lasted long enough to chill the air even more, and soak him to the bone. But he didn't care.
Sighing in content, he wondered if anyone in his family knew that he was gone. Wondering if they even cared.
"Zac, mom's going to kill you when she sees you like that." Taylor said as he opened the back-screen door.
In his mind, he had groaned loudly, but Zac only allowed himself to shrug. "So?" He challenged.
Timidly, Taylor took the spot next to him. Handing him a dry warm towel, as he settled his weight on the balls of his feet. Not wanting to get his pants wet.
"You know, we are all having to deal with this." He said quietly after a few milliseconds of silence. "It's not just you."
Zac snorted loudly. "Yeah, right."
"You think we don't know how hard it is?" Taylor asked him, his voice still calm.
"We have to watch what we say. Hoping that we don't say the wrong thing." He stated matter-of-factly. "We don't want to watch you get hurt, so we try and help you. But you say we treat you like a baby."
Leaning back, Zac listened. Not hearing, just listening. Not believing a word of it.
Once he noticed that Taylor had finished, he stood up, handed the unused towel back to his brother, and shrugged his shoulders again. "When I see you Tay," He started. "I'll hear you."
With that said, Zac left him sitting there on the back porch. Letting the screen door slam shut behind him. His hands outstretched as he felt his way around his now unfamiliar house.
Finally reaching his bed, he decided against changing his clothes. The dampness wouldn't hurt him, as long as he got under his covers and stayed warm.
Besides, it would be too much of a hassle to try and find new clothes to wear for bed. He wasn't up for anymore-physical exertion.
The next day, he was being shaken awake. And he heard his mother talking loudly to him, and he heard his father's voice in the background.
Zac just couldn't get his brain to work fast enough to understand what they were saying. And when he was finally awake enough to comprehend anything, no one seemed to be in the room.
Where was his brother's and sisters? The thought popped into his mind, but was quickly erased, as he steadied his hand and raised it to his lips.
Once he was done, his father and mother ushered him into the van. "Where are we going?" He asked as his hand searched for the seatbelt.
"We already told you." Mr. Hanson said slightly impatient as he started the car and backed out of the driveway.
"Refresh my memory." Zac replied hastily.
"Watch it, young man." He warned.
Stubbornly, Zac turned his head to the right, where his window was.
"We're going to Seymour Groves." Mrs. Hanson stated quietly.
"Nice name." He commented wryly. "Why are we going there?"
"For your classes." Mr. Hanson told him.
Zac nodded his head slowly as he turned it back to face forward. "And what classes am I taking?" He questioned.
"It's a school for the blind, Zac." Mrs. Hanson calmly responded. Not wanting to get a big reaction.
"A blind school?!" Zac shrieked loudly.
"Keep your voice down!" Mr. Hanson said, warning him again.
But Zac ignored him. "Why am I going to a blind school?" He asked harshly. "So that you can get rid of me?"
When he heard his mother gasp, he wanted to take that back instantly. But he didn't, he was hurting too.
"We're taking you there, so that you can learn to cope with being blind, Zac." Mr. Hanson said in a tight voice. Struggling to keep his tone as light as possible.
"And you're not staying there." Mrs. Hanson said gently. "You'll be coming home, everyday."
Zac could hear the excitement in her voice, and refused to speak more on the subject or any other subject. He sulked in his seat, and waited until the ride was over.
Once his seatbelt was unbuckled and he slid the door open, he stepped out onto the ground and slammed the door shut.
"Zac, this will be good for you." His mother said as she gave him a hug and a kiss on the forehead.
He didn't return any of the sentiments, and she backed away. His father didn't approach him. Just merely said, "Good luck. We'll be back in three hours to pick you up."
Don't bother! He wanted to shout at them.
But he didn't because another person stepped up to them. He had felt their presence.
"Hi, I'm Jakob Myer. I'm the head leader of this school."
The way he spoke, Zac could hear the laughter and enjoyment in his voice.
"I'll take care of Zac, Mister and Misses
Hanson, no problem." He said confidently.
Ha. He scoffed mentally.
His parents and him talked for a few seconds before they started saying bye, and Zac simply gave a weak wave of his hand.
Once the car doors shut, the engine roared, and they drove away, Zac turned to the "head leader."
"Don't know who you are," He started. "But I don't like you. And I don't want to be here."
Jakob smiled at him. He extended, his hand, and took Zac's in it. Shaking it firmly. "I'm Jakob Myer, and I'm blind." Was his reply.
Zac dropped his hand. "But you just spoke with my parents and everything!" He stated. Refusing to believe that this guy was blind as well.
He heard Jakob laugh. "Here you will learn to play off your blindness. Almost to the point to where most wouldn't realize that you were blind."
Zac started thinking for a moment. This may be a good idea after all. He tried to find Jakob's hand again, and when he found it, he shook it as well. "I'm Zac Hanson, and I'm blind."
"Good, now we'll act like everyone else in the world." Jakob replied. "The blind leading the blind."
Keeping his hand extended, Zac laughed. This is a great idea. He corrected himself.
