Congratulations !
You have been awarded points.
Thank you for !
- Story Listed as: Fiction For Adults
- Theme: Love stories / Romance
- Subject: Love / Romance / Dating
- Published: 08/29/2020
As light as they were, she heard his steps before he even got to her table. The lunchroom was crowded…it always was for lunchtime. She sat at her table…alone. She didn’t mind. She was used to being by herself - and she liked listening to the things going on around her. She thought his steps would just continue out the door to the exit. Her table was only a few feet from it, and she could hear the kids both coming and going.
His steps stopped. Her ears perked up a bit, to be honest, so did her heart. She didn’t dare hope…but maybe…just maybe…. She must have jumped three inches off the bench when his voice leaped out at her from only a few inches away. It was a warm deep voice, one that belonged on a much older boy than was usual for Seventh Grade Lunch period.
It spooked him, she could tell, because the tone of his voice went from a shy ready to bolt at any moment coltish sound: “ Can I join you?” To a very concerned “I didn’t mean to scare you!”; that held not only genuine distress but a smidgeon of apology in it too.
She smiled up at him, knowing he had no idea how reassuring the light touch of his hand was on her shoulder.
“I’m fine. You just startled me, that’s all. When you stopped moving I couldn’t tell where you were. And yes, I would love for you to join me.”
She could hear in his voice that he didn’t quite understand.
“When you stopped moving, I lost all your sound in the background of kids chattering, chairs scraping, and trays being slammed into the trolleys for cleaning.”
“My sound?”
She could hear the confusion in his soft tones.
“Yes, your sound. (She reached up and took off her glasses) I am blind.”
This is where she thought it would end, like it did so many times when boys, or girls, for that matter, tried to sit with her at the table. Nobody ever approached her outside at recess…except to make sure she came back into school. Her heart, slowed to beat out disappointment as hope leaked out with her answer.
“Oh. But you don’t have a cane. And I saw you get your tray and walk over to this table.”
She laughed. To her delight, he laughed too - just to join in.
“What made you laugh?”
She reached in her backpack and brought out a foldable cane with its familiar red and white markings.
“I have a cane. I don’t need it in school, because I memorized all the pathways, and just by clicking my tongue (and she “clicked” for him) I can usually tell where things are. Well…except for here in a crowded cafeteria. To much noise around for that to work well. “
“Wow…so you are like a dolphin.”
“What?”
You would have had to be both blind and deaf to not hear all the emotion in that single word. She was confused by his comment…and a bit saddened too. Was he making fun of her?
His face fell, which she didn’t notice, but his voice dropped to almost a whisper…which she did notice. His hand reached around her shoulders in a strange sideways hug. When did he sit down next to her? How did she miss that? It didn’t really matter…his arm was warm, comforting…she leaned into the hug without conscious thought.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you. I love dolphins, they are beautiful…like you.”
Her heart skipped a beat. Nobody had ever told her she was beautiful…well, except her Mom and Dad…and they were biased.
“You think dolphins are beautiful?”
“Oh, yes! They are so strong, shiny, pretty. Like you, they use sonar to bounce off of things to see where they are.”
She might as well see if he would stick around…so she pretended to be offended.
“So you think I am beautiful... like a fish?”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she wished she could take them back. His arm snaked off her shoulders like he had been electrocuted. She even felt the snap of static from her sweater…she wanted to cry.
She waited. Would he leave? He isn’t saying anything. She never had a boy (or anyone) sit with her since school started over a month ago. Sure she was new - and most of these kids had been together for the last seven years…but she didn’t make friends easily…and now…well, she messed up her only chance.
She waited.
She felt his hands go to her face. Those were strong hands turning her body slightly so that she was facing him- they met little resistance as her head rotated gently. He took both her hands then…and put them on his face. She felt the shape of his jaw, the ridge above his nose, she traced his cheeks all the way to his ears.
Her hands formed an image of a young boy, with a strong jaw, quivering lips, and a frown formed by soft lips.
It was only then that he spoke:
“I think you are pretty. The prettiest girl I have ever seen. It took me three weeks to get up the courage to come over here to your table. I thought you must have a boyfriend, or maybe two or three of them. “
This time her laughter puffed out against her will.
“I have never had a boyfriend!”
“You do now.”
She felt the smile grow under the palms of her hands, still gently caressing the sides of his face.
“But I don’t even know your name!”
He didn’t hesitate.
“Flipper.”
The rest of the Cafeteria looked over at the table with the blind girl and the lanky red headed kid. They were holding onto each other and laughing like Hyenas. They couldn’t talk- howling laughter was taking up all their air, tears were running down both their cheeks.
She knew his real name. After all, they shared the same last name now. But, when they were alone…she called him: “Flipper.”
Flipper.(Kevin Hughes)
As light as they were, she heard his steps before he even got to her table. The lunchroom was crowded…it always was for lunchtime. She sat at her table…alone. She didn’t mind. She was used to being by herself - and she liked listening to the things going on around her. She thought his steps would just continue out the door to the exit. Her table was only a few feet from it, and she could hear the kids both coming and going.
His steps stopped. Her ears perked up a bit, to be honest, so did her heart. She didn’t dare hope…but maybe…just maybe…. She must have jumped three inches off the bench when his voice leaped out at her from only a few inches away. It was a warm deep voice, one that belonged on a much older boy than was usual for Seventh Grade Lunch period.
It spooked him, she could tell, because the tone of his voice went from a shy ready to bolt at any moment coltish sound: “ Can I join you?” To a very concerned “I didn’t mean to scare you!”; that held not only genuine distress but a smidgeon of apology in it too.
She smiled up at him, knowing he had no idea how reassuring the light touch of his hand was on her shoulder.
“I’m fine. You just startled me, that’s all. When you stopped moving I couldn’t tell where you were. And yes, I would love for you to join me.”
She could hear in his voice that he didn’t quite understand.
“When you stopped moving, I lost all your sound in the background of kids chattering, chairs scraping, and trays being slammed into the trolleys for cleaning.”
“My sound?”
She could hear the confusion in his soft tones.
“Yes, your sound. (She reached up and took off her glasses) I am blind.”
This is where she thought it would end, like it did so many times when boys, or girls, for that matter, tried to sit with her at the table. Nobody ever approached her outside at recess…except to make sure she came back into school. Her heart, slowed to beat out disappointment as hope leaked out with her answer.
“Oh. But you don’t have a cane. And I saw you get your tray and walk over to this table.”
She laughed. To her delight, he laughed too - just to join in.
“What made you laugh?”
She reached in her backpack and brought out a foldable cane with its familiar red and white markings.
“I have a cane. I don’t need it in school, because I memorized all the pathways, and just by clicking my tongue (and she “clicked” for him) I can usually tell where things are. Well…except for here in a crowded cafeteria. To much noise around for that to work well. “
“Wow…so you are like a dolphin.”
“What?”
You would have had to be both blind and deaf to not hear all the emotion in that single word. She was confused by his comment…and a bit saddened too. Was he making fun of her?
His face fell, which she didn’t notice, but his voice dropped to almost a whisper…which she did notice. His hand reached around her shoulders in a strange sideways hug. When did he sit down next to her? How did she miss that? It didn’t really matter…his arm was warm, comforting…she leaned into the hug without conscious thought.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you. I love dolphins, they are beautiful…like you.”
Her heart skipped a beat. Nobody had ever told her she was beautiful…well, except her Mom and Dad…and they were biased.
“You think dolphins are beautiful?”
“Oh, yes! They are so strong, shiny, pretty. Like you, they use sonar to bounce off of things to see where they are.”
She might as well see if he would stick around…so she pretended to be offended.
“So you think I am beautiful... like a fish?”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she wished she could take them back. His arm snaked off her shoulders like he had been electrocuted. She even felt the snap of static from her sweater…she wanted to cry.
She waited. Would he leave? He isn’t saying anything. She never had a boy (or anyone) sit with her since school started over a month ago. Sure she was new - and most of these kids had been together for the last seven years…but she didn’t make friends easily…and now…well, she messed up her only chance.
She waited.
She felt his hands go to her face. Those were strong hands turning her body slightly so that she was facing him- they met little resistance as her head rotated gently. He took both her hands then…and put them on his face. She felt the shape of his jaw, the ridge above his nose, she traced his cheeks all the way to his ears.
Her hands formed an image of a young boy, with a strong jaw, quivering lips, and a frown formed by soft lips.
It was only then that he spoke:
“I think you are pretty. The prettiest girl I have ever seen. It took me three weeks to get up the courage to come over here to your table. I thought you must have a boyfriend, or maybe two or three of them. “
This time her laughter puffed out against her will.
“I have never had a boyfriend!”
“You do now.”
She felt the smile grow under the palms of her hands, still gently caressing the sides of his face.
“But I don’t even know your name!”
He didn’t hesitate.
“Flipper.”
The rest of the Cafeteria looked over at the table with the blind girl and the lanky red headed kid. They were holding onto each other and laughing like Hyenas. They couldn’t talk- howling laughter was taking up all their air, tears were running down both their cheeks.
She knew his real name. After all, they shared the same last name now. But, when they were alone…she called him: “Flipper.”
- Share this story on
- 0
COMMENTS (0)