I walked alone in the empty halls, my footsteps bouncing of the bare walls. I knew that in the places where some schools had trophies or banners displaying its students academic or athletic skill, our school's halls were bare, and our trophy case was a empty ocean of nothingness, with the rare exceptions of the few trophies that gleamed from inside.

The announcements in the morning where heartbreaking, especially for a school like us, who have a lot of school pride. The whole school seemed deflated with the loss after loss in all sports, ranging from our football and volleyball teams, to the smaller, less popular cross-country, golf and tennis teams. It seemed that this wasn't a good season for any of us. Only I intended to change that.

It was Thursday, right before lunch, and my stomach was churning. Not just with hunger, although I was starving from my absence of a breakfast this morning, but with nervousness too. For today was the day. Today I was to change my life, and many of the other lives that were unexpectedly linked to mine. Lives that I never would have dreamed of connecting with, had I not lost my vision in the Accident.

For today was the day of my first cross-country meet since the Accident.

My heart seemed to be pounding in my chest so loudly I thought even Eve might be able to hear it. My breathing was quick and short in length, while I felt my hands tremble by my sides. It reminded me of the very first time I ever, after my Dad died. In the end I had run my hardest, and I found something I loved. Something that let me forget the pain of the world around me.

Running has always seemed to find me when I'm at my lowest point. The times when I feel like I drowning and there is just no escape. Running has always been that light in my darkest place where no others could reach me. Something that I could turn to when the world around me began crumbling away, like the ruins of an ancient city.

When the Accident stole my vision, I thought it had also stolen that light. That I, too, was destined to crumble away. Then Mercy and Eve came. They showed me a world in a different light. I saw it through their eyes, and surprisingly, I saw the world more vividly than I could've ever dreamed. The colors, the colors were the more beautiful than I could ever dream.

Then Jaxon followed them. If my friends had brought color into the world, then he brought warmth. He brought feeling back into my body, that I had not noticed was gone. Then he brought the light that I long thought had died out, but instead my mind had just forgotten. My body, however, could still remember what it was like to fly. And ever since the Accident, it had longed to fly again.

I finally found myself in the cafeteria, a place where a thousand voice spoke with such unnecessary volume, I almost found myself laughing at it. I was always late to lunch, because my english teacher constantly found herself forgetting that I was released early, and I had to wait until after the halls had cleared in her classroom, which smelt strongly of jasmine.

I took a seat at my usual lunch table, letting my head fall onto Jaxon's shoulder, my cheek resting on the soft fabric of his shirt. There was something about his presence that just calmed my nerves and when he spoke it seemed that he could make any bad day good again. Although some dark part of my mind was curious if he was like Chris, my ex-boyfriend.

I squinted at where I thought Jaxon's form might be, removing my head from his shoulder. As always I was just rewarded with the darkness that always clouded my vision. Was it possible that Jaxon was just using me, for his own selfish games, like all the others? Or could it be something far worse. I have heard that sometimes those who seem the kindest in heart, are the ones with the worst intentions.

"Is something wrong, Raindrop?" Jaxon asked, and I could almost feel the lopsided grin that was most likely plastered on his face. "It looks like you just ate a lemon." He said, and I rolled my eyes.

"I was just thinking." I huffed, crossing my arms, and closing my eyes, then I returned my head to his shoulder, feeling a warmth inside my heart.

"Were you thinking about eating a lemon, because..." Jaxon trailed off, his teasing nature showing through.

"No!" I snapped, in mock rage. "I don't look like I'm eating a lemon when I think." I said, in a huff. "Where is everyone else?" I asked, suddenly aware that there was no cooing sounds from the two E's nor frantic signing in the palm of my hand by Mercy or Eve.

"They are coming back from the lunch line right now." Jaxon informed, and a smiled, softly, as my friends took a seat at the table.

"Aww you two look so cute together!" Emma said, her voice in a strangely warm manner.

"Shh, we can't disturb their date!" Emilie said, and I rolled my eyes once more. It was a wonder why I had mastered the skill over the past few weeks.

Suddenly a warm, smooth hand grasped my own and started signing like wildfire. Mercy. I only caught the end part, which stood out from the rest of the other weird ramblings. -and I swear, according to Eve, Jaxon is in love with you.

Those words made me freeze. Love seemed to be a foreign concept to me. It had been a while since I had said the l word to anyone, my family included. It seemed as if the word was jinxed, and whenever I spoke it allowed, something bad happened to them or me, whenever I said it out loud. Mainly both of us.

Why does Eve think that? I signed back, my fingers stiff.

Well Jaxon and Eve have science class together, and he keeps bugging her all class, with notes asking about you. She signed. It's really quiet romantic, if you ask me.

I sighed, and once more rolled my eyes. Mercy was a romantic, Eve was overreacting and Jaxon was... curious, and slightly adorable, although mainly just curious. I knew, with new found certainty that he was a great guy, and nothing would ever waver my confidence about him again. Although I wish I could say the same for this meet.

AN:

Hey hey hey it's your favorite author! Haha no I'm not, but please hold your tomatoes, because I updated today, and NO I'm not screwing with you, because I really did it! I said I would yesterday (which kinda makes this thing a day late) but I had to audition for a play, but don't worry about me making it and getting a life or something because I'm terrible at acting!

However on a side note, I'm writing on my computer again, which means better quality, longer chapters for you, and an extra 30 minutes of agony for me. It's a good type though, like the burn during athletic that you get...you don't..you don't get that? Well good news for you neither do I!! I hate the burn. It's really acid when the ATPs need more oxygen. I think.

And now for my lovely chapter dedication! I dedicate this chapter to thecandyraptor because it's her birthday tomorrow!! Happy birthday now incase I forget tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!

Another thing you guys need to do for me is check out GayleGirl19 's story, Running Blind: Mercy's Story. It is in the same time frame as my book, but her's will be from the character, you guessed it, Mercy's point of view (who is actually based off of her) And don't worry, she has my full permission to do this.

Actually if anyone out there wants to write stories or draw stuff with my characters, I'm okay with it. I would like to see it though, so somehow send it to me please! And I just realized how long this AN is... Yikes.

Well final thing before I go, is that I was listening to a song called Golden Days (Cause Emma made me) and it was on youtube so it just kept playing song after song... So maybe that's why this chapter is a little bit...darker. Anyways that's all for today! Have an imaginary cookie for reading all of this crap.

BYE MY LOVELY LITTLE RAINDROPS!!!!