04

The story continues for Bobby and April. Honestly, I'm not even sure how this will be received and if anyone will even give me the time of day. However I enjoyed the time I spent getting to know these characters as they came to life on the page and to me that's all that really matters haha.

Enjoy, or don't. It's up to you :)

*****

Chapter 3

Bobby got to school early and waited by his creative writing classroom. He didn't want to end up sitting in the back of the classroom like he had the first day of class. As he was waiting on his own, there was someone who caught his eye.

She was a skinny blond girl of medium height. She was comfortably dressed in a pair of jeans and a thick jacket to keep the cold away. What caught his eye was the cane she was using to navigate towards him. It was obvious to anyone looking that she was blind. But at the moment that didn't concern him at all. What did concern him was that something about her made Bobby's heart jump. He wouldn't really describe her as being smoking hot, but then again Bobby was never attracted to that type of woman. Bobby found that her smallish slightly angular face and small button nose was very attractive. He couldn't stop staring at her.

Her blindness was the furthest thing from his mind. He wanted to go up to talk to her but he wasn't exactly sure how to approach her or even what he would say to her. What would a plain and average guy as himself have to say to someone as beautiful as her? What did they even have in common? Bobby thought.

As class started and students started to pile in, Bobby worked his way quickly into the classroom and managed to find a seat next to this mystery woman. He momentarily forgot about her as his mind came back to the poetry assignment that they were to turn in at the start of class. He had probably spent more time than was needed reading and rereading the poem and trying to nitpick at various details. He had even had his mother read it over to try to get another perspective on the poem to see if any further adjustments were necessary.

As Professor Davis took his position at the front of the classroom everyone fell silent. "Okay class I am going to collect the poetry assignment and call roll. Let me just make this statement before we begin. If any of you students are here thinking you can just float through class and fulfill your humanities units, I want to ask you again to rethink your enrollment in this class, as you will not do well in this class."

"In addition, if any of you were foolish enough to get a work of poetry online or from a previous classmate who has taken my class, I want to let you know I do not tolerate that type of behavior in my class. If you think that I wouldn't be able to recognize a pirated work of literature and find the source you took it from, you're in for a very rude awakening. You will automatically receive a failing grade and you will be taken in front of the disciplinary committee to receive your punishment. Now I know that none of us want to go through that kind of headache so if you are here with a poem that is not of your own creation, can you please do both of us a favor and exit the classroom at this time and I will cross you name off the roster."

The class was silent. In the next few moments a couple students stood and left the class after letting the professor know their name. It seems that the speech had caused some of the students to have a change of heart, which was fine with Bobby as it meant that his chances of getting into the classroom was now that much better.

Professor Davis let the class know that the poems would be read and the class roster would be decided over the weekend no later than friday evening. Once these orders of business were taken care of, the professor dove right into the lecture. Bobby really liked the way that the professor directed the class to have a discussion about the literature they read together in class. It made the class much more interesting and they students were able to see things from the differing perspective of their fellow classmates instead of being talked at by the professor for an hour and a half.

As much as Bobby attempted to focus in class, his eyes would inevitably drift towards the beautiful girl sitting next to him. He felt a little guilty that he spent way so much of class time just staring at her. These thoughts that preoccupied him caused him to miss her name during roll call. He was kicking himself slightly but he figured he could find out her name during the next class period.

At first Bobby was wondering how she would be able to follow along during class. However, when he saw her laptop and her assistive devices, his questions were answered.

She had a laptop open with an earpiece in one ear. He assumed she must be using some type of text to speech technology that read out loud whatever written material that they were going over in class. In addition to that, there was a thin accessory that was plugged into her laptop that seemed to present some written material in braille that she could read with her fingertips.

She was quiet during the class and she seemed to be very focused on following along with the pace of the class. Bobby was amazed at her determination and the way that she managed work around her disadvantage so well, and this only added to the growing infatuation that Bobby was feeling for this girl.

All too soon the class had ended and Bobby watched silently as this beautiful girl slowly and systematically packed up her things. He would have offered to help her, but with the way she was working it was obvious to him that she didn't need it.

All throughout his school day and even while he was at work his thoughts were on this girl. He wished he had to courage to introduce himself and talk to her. He found himself wondering about her. What kind of girl was she? What were her hobbies? Would she be interested in someone like him? Should he ask her out for a cup of coffee on Tuesday? Would that be too forward?

He didn't want to seem like a creep and he wanted to make a good first impression on her. He was lost in thought when he heard Pete, his manager calling his name quite loudly.

"Earth to Bobby. Helloooooo? Anyone in there?" Pete asked as he waved his hands across Bobby's face.

"Oh sorry Pete, just a bit distracted today. I'm sorry what did you ask again?"

"Damn Bobby, I called your name at least 6 times. What's on your mind?" he asked. "It's not some young girl that swept you off your feet is it?"

Bobby blushed as his thoughts quickly returned to the girl he had met. Pete just laughed as he saw Bobby's embarrassment. Damn it! Bobby thought. He hated how his emotions were always so easy to read. He was a terrible liar and he knew it.

"Yea it's this girl I met in my creative writing class. Well to be accurate I didn't actually meet her because I was too shy to go up to talk to her." Bobby admitted.

Pete, being an older gentleman who already had a wife and children, just laughed and patted Bobby on the back. "Ah lad, we've all been there. If you think that she would be worth your time, don't let her get away. Man up and just go talk to her, or you may end up regretting it. Now, get back to work. We have a lot of things to inventory today and we can't afford to have you daydream about some woman the entire shift" Pete laughed as he walked away.

Bobby thought back on his words long after they had ended their conversation but he managed to work at a more reasonable pace. He was actually quite busy with inventory and other tasks around the shop. Since he had no school on Friday, he had chosen to work both the closing shift on Thursday and the opening shift on Friday morning.

During his break he looked through his phone and noticed that he had missed a text message from Dave.

"Yo Bobby, James and Gemma just invited us to go with them to a party tomorrow night. I'll pick you up from your house at 7. Game?"

Bobby read through the text and thought about his schedule tomorrow. He would probably be at home at 5pm at the latest once he finished his morning shift. He would be tired but he wasn't about to say no to his best friend. Plus, he was looking for something to take his mind off this girl that was preoccupying his thoughts. He didn't want to be obsessing over someone he hadn't even had the chance to talk to!

He thought he was crazy because he hardly knew anything about this girl. How could he ask her out and date her when he knew nothing about her? He decided to consult Dave about it on Friday and tried to push it far back into his mind and focus on the tasks at hand. He was only partially successful, however as he found his thought continuing to drift back to her throughout the night and the next morning.

*****

Chapter 4

April had a great night with Jackie and a great day out with her too. She didn't always find shopping to be an enjoyable task. It usually ended up with April struggling to navigate through crowded malls and getting overwhelmed with too many choices and not knowing what she should buy or what looked good. Being blind came with it's fair share of disadvantages and going out shopping was when the world seemed to slap her in the face with this disability the strongest. That and trying to watch television could both equally be dissatisfying, to say the least.

However, Jackie knew April very well and everything was always so much easier when Jackie was around to facilitate for her. Now that she thought about it, the last time that she had gone shopping was with Jackie many months ago. Although her mother had invited her to go a few times since then, she had declined her offer and had chosen not to go.

During their rather long shopping day, they bought dresses that they could both wear that night. Jackie had claimed that she wanted to get dolled up and attract all the male attention that they could. After they had gone shopping, they stopped by a hair salon to get their hair done. There was only one place that April liked to get her hair done and when they had called in on Thursday, they were able to make an appointment for that afternoon. All in all, they had a great afternoon and they were very satisfied with their day.

As they were getting ready to go the party, April got a bit nervous. Jackie had picked out what April thought was a very revealing dress while they were out shopping and April wasn't sure if she would look good in it. After all, just because she was blind didn't mean that she didn't care what she looked like.

After Jackie had helped April with her makeup and outfit, she was busy dolling herself up and getting ready for the party. April voiced her concerns to her as she sat on her bed.

"Are you sure this dress isn't too revealing Jackie? I don't entirely feel comfortable wearing this here in my bedroom let alone at a party with a bunch of strange guys looking at me...." The worry and anxiety was clearly evident on April's face and Jackie tried her best to address concerns and persuade her that everything looked fine.

"You look absolutely stunning April. I can't remember the last time you looked so fabulous. And don't worry about all the strange men. I'll be right there with you if you need any help fending them off. I'm more than capable. You should put some more faith in your best friend, silly." Jackie said in a light and comforting tone.

April sighed softly, partly in exasperation but mostly in defeat. She knew that Jackie had gone out of her way to accommodate her and help her today and she should just be thankful for having Jackie in her life.

"You're right Jackie. I should trust you to lead me in the right direction. You would never steer me wrong," she said laughing at the connotation of that statement.

"Oh gosh don't even get started with your puns April. They aren't good," she laughed. "We need to hurry if we don't want to be too late for the party." Jackie laughed continued applying her makeup and getting prepared for the night.

When they got to the party, April was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't as crowded or as loud as she expected it to be. Jerry explained to them that it was still a little early in the night and he expected some more people to show up, and even then didn't expect it to get too crazy.Meanwhile, she was having an enjoyable evening with Jackie, catching up with some old highschool friends that they had not met in quite some time and making quiet conversation.

*****

Bobby took one last look in the mirror as he prepared to go to the party. It was nearly 7 and Dave usually wasn't late when he said he was going to be somewhere. He wasn't quite sure what type of party they were going to and what type of people he would meet, but he thought he might as well dress up a bit for the occasion. He had put on one of his better dress shirts, a pair of nice brown slacks, his favorite watch, and applied an extra splash of his favorite cologne. He was careful not to over do it with the cologne. That would probably chase the girls away, and that was the opposite of what he was going for, chuckling a bit as the thought came to his mind.

At 5'10 and 175 pounds he would describe himself as being slightly above average height and average build. He didn't think he was especially handsome but he wouldn't say he was ugly either. But then again, this was his opinion about himself and he was without a doubt biased in his opinion. He had dabbled with some soccer in his younger years which had helped keep him more thin and lean. However, he never got around to working out and he had always had trouble building up muscle.

The sound of an incoming text alerted him that Dave was probably here and he should stop checking himself out in the mirror. He made his last finishing touches to the gel he applied to his slightly wavy short, brown hair as he made his way out of the house. He tried to muster what little confidence he had as he locked up the house and headed out of the house. He shot his mother a quick text explaining he would be going out to a party with Dave and they would be in late.

"Damn son, look at you all dressed up. I was afraid you'd show up in some ratty old sweater and kill the mood," Dave commented.

Bobby was relieved that he didn't over dress for the party as he saw that Dave was in similar attire as he was. "Yea Dave, we gonna hook up with some girls at this party or what?" Bobby joked. They had never been great at approaching girls and hooking up with girls so this was quite funny coming from Bobby.

"So what kinda party are we going to tonight anyways? You didn't really tell me much about it." Bobby stated.

"Honestly, I'm not really sure what to expect myself. James and Gemma just said that their old highschol buddy was throwing a party and it was going to be chill. They made it sound like a laid back get together with some barbeque, booze, and access to the pool area that their friend had." Dave answered.

"Oh I see. Well if you want to drink tonight I don't mind being the designated driver. You can sleep over so your parents won't find out." Bobby had never been a prolific drinker and he honestly couldn't care less about alcohol since he hated the taste of whiskey and most beers. That didn't mean he never got shit faced at some parties he attended while he was in highschool, but he paid for his stupidity with some massive hangovers the next morning. Mornings such as those that he experienced usually kept him from consuming too much alcohol at the parties they went to.

When they arrived, Bobby was relieved that the party was much more tame than he had imagined. He spotted James and Gemma and they both walked over to greet them.

"Yo! Bobby, Dave. Glad you guys could make it to the party. We miss hanging out with you more during the school week now that we don't have any classes this semester." Gemma said as she greeted them.

Bobby grinned. He loved how welcoming Gemma could be. "Yea we feel the same way. How about next semester we try to plan to have at least one class together so we can all hang out together." Bobby proposed. They all agreed to talk about it later.

"Oh Bobby, Dave let me introduce you to Jerry, our gracious host." James said. Jerry turned out to be very easy going and they enjoyed meeting him. He told them to go ahead and enjoy some barbecue out in the backyard and they all thanked him for his hospitality.

Bobby and Dave both headed out to grab some food and drinks. After Bobby grabbed a hotdog and some chips, he saw something that made him nearly dropped his food. He was glad he didn't because he certainly didn't want to cause a scene.

As Dave and Bobby sat down on the grass to eat, Dave started speaking to him about something. However, Bobby couldn't seem to focus on what Dave was saying. His eyes were glued to the girl from his class. She was at her party, and apparently sitting with her friend on one of the beach chairs. She looked absolutely radiant tonight, more so than she did in class on Thursday. It looked like she had had her hair done and she had some light makeup on. Bobby really liked that amount of makeup she had on, and felt that she had just enough makeup on to accentuate her features without overpowering her natural look.

As Dave looked up from his food and asked Bobby about his classes, he noticed that Bobby wasn't paying attention to what he was saying at all. Interested in what he had his attention, he looked over to where he was staring.

"Ohhhhh bobby, rather taken with that young woman in the red dress huh?" Dave laughed as he poked Bobby in the side, breaking him from the trance that he seemed to be in.

"Wait, what?" Bobby asked. "Oh no, it's not that. It's just that....well the thing is...." Bobby was struggling to find the right words at the moment.

"Wow Bobby," Dave was trying to hide his laughter at how flabbergasted that Bobby was acting. "I've never seen you so lost for words over a girl that you haven't even met yet." Dave said as he failed to hide his laughter.

Bobby was blushing, obviously embarrassed at his loss of composure. He began to explain to Dave that it wasn't the girl in the red dress that he was staring at. He told him about the mystery girl that showed up in his writing class and that he had not had the nerve to go and talk to her yet. He didn't even know what her name was yet.

"Wow, I didn't even notice that she was blind. I guess it's kind of hard to tell when she's just sitting there and having a good time with her friend." Dave took some time to think, processing all the information that Bobby had just unloaded on him.

"Have you give this some thought Bobby? I mean, she's a blind person. I'm not trying to dissuade you from speaking to her, nor am I trying to imply that there are anything wrong with blind people. On the contrary I really want you to go speak to her if you're interested in her. But have you really thought about what a relationship with her is going to be like? It's going to be different than dating a regular girl you know." Dave said with sincerity.

"Yea Dave I've thought about her a lot. Maybe too much time if I'm being completely honest. And to address the point that you brought up, it doesn't bother me in the least that she's blind. I'm just not sure if I should go ask her out yet though. I hardly know anything about her other than that she is in my class! How can I date her?" Bobby started freaking out a bit at the thought of going to speak to her.

"Bobby, come on man. Use some common sense. Of course you don't know much about her yet. You just met her. That's what dating is for. You get to know what kind of person they are and you find out together if you guys are a good match for each other as you date." Dave explained.

Bobby had never really thought of it that way. He had always avoided asking a girl out, thinking that he did not know them well enough and that it wouldn't make sense to ask them out even if Bobby was interested in them. Why had Bobby never thought about it that way he wondered?