I was waiting at the bus stop with Scooter when I met him. Well I suppose I should say, he met me. I heard him walk up behind me and sit on the bench to my right. Scooter noticed him for only a moment before becoming disinterested.

"Going downtown?," I heard the stranger ask.

"Yes, though I don't see why that's any of your business."

"Well, where are you going? I'll walk you there."

I couldn't stand to hear the pity in his voice. Just because I was blind didn't mean I wasn't competent. Scooter helped me with things I couldn't manage by myself.

"I can get to where I'm going without any help from the likes of you. I've managed my whole life with little to no help and I'm pretty sure I can keep on doing it for the rest of it," I said, my defenses springing up around me.

I heard the bus pull up and the sound of the brake being put on. Scooter began to move forward and I stuck out my hand automatically to catch the railing on the left side. Instead I caught a hand.

" I was only trying to help. By the way, I'm Luc."

I let go of his hand and climbed onto the bus and sat down in my customary seat behind Joe, the bus driver. He and I got along smashingly. We had ever since my uncle starting making me take the bus to school.

"That feller botherin' ya, Erica? I can kick 'im off if 'e is," Joe said, a protective note creeping into his voice.

I smiled. "No, Joe. I was just discussing with Master Luc over there how well I could manage on my own."

I felt a body next to me and knew it was Luc. I could smell his cologne. Axe, I think, by the scent.

"Where are you off to today, Miss Erica?," Luc said with a smile. I could hear it in his voice. You can hear things like that if you know what to look for.

"School," I replied, my animosity towards him slowly wearing off. "Where are you headed?"

"Same as you, school. I've just been enrolled in Wright Academy."

My breath stilled. He was going to my school? And he was taking the bus?

Scooter's chin was suddenly in my lap, a sure sign he'd noticed the change in my mood. Scooter has been my seeing eye dog for over three years now. He can read my moods better than any person ever could. We had a bond from the moment I met him. There was something special about Scooter and I and my uncle could see that Scooter was a good thing for me. I'd had two seeing eye dogs before I got Scooter but one had been put down because of stomach cancer and the other didn't get along with me as a seeing eye dog needs to.

I began breathing normally again. "Oh really? I attend Wright. As you should already have noticed by my attire." At that, I gestured to the navy blue plaid skirt, navy blue socks, and white cotton shirt with the Academy's crest on the left breast pocket. I've been told it's quite a bland outfit and it does nothing to compliment my features.

"I did notice and that's why I talked to you earlier. I wasn't trying to upset or offend you. Just was trying to make a friend, that's all. I am new here after all and I just thought you looked gorgeous and...," he began rambling and at that I started to laugh.

"What? What did I say?"

"Oh, nothing, you must forgive me. It's just that your nervousness comes rolling off you in waves and I can feel them and why you'd be nervous talking to me, is beyond me."

"You really underestimate yourself and your charms," he said, suddenly pulling the conversation in a serious direction that I did not want to pursue.

Clearing my throat, I said,"We'll be there in two more stops. I can walk you to the office if you'd like, but then I really must go to my first class. I like to get there before the masses try to trample Scooter and me."

"Thanks but I've already got my class schedule and I took a tour of the school last week. How about I walk with you to your first class? What is it?"

My heart began beating faster at the thought of what rumors would fly at the sight of Luc walking me to class. I am a very shy person by nature and being blind has thrust me into the public eye more than I ever would have wanted even if I did have my sight. I try to avoid conflict as much as I can. So swallowing the lump in my throat, I began to reply, but before I could get my refusal past my lips, I felt a finger stopping me from speaking.

"Erica, please let me walk you to class. I'd like to make up for being an assuming ass out there at the bus stop earlier. Please?"

The walls that make up my defenses against hurtful people slowly crumbled as I heard the sincerity in his voice.

Sighing inwardly, I said,"Alright," knowing that I would most likely regret my decision later.

"We're here Erica," Joe said, worry still threaded in his voice.

Standing up, Scooter led me out of the bus and onto the busy sidewalk that was bustling with city traffic. I felt Luc take my hand and together we began to walk to the Academy. Soon we were inside the huge building that had taken me forever to memorize. Walking up the two flights of stairs and turning left twenty steps later, we reached my locker. Feeling for Scooter's nose, to point out which locker was mine, I heard voices behind me.

"Who's that guy with the blind chick"
"Yeah, how did she get someone like him"
"Wonder where he came from. Couldn't be with that blind chick, she's too much of a prude to ever get a boyfriend."

I could feel the tears welling up in my sightless eyes behind my tinted glasses. I wore the glasses so people wouldn't be afraid to look at me in the eyes and see scar tissue covering what was supposed to be my pupil and iris. But the glasses didn't hide the tears that were beginning to fall. I felt a hand on my face, warm and comforting, wiping the tears away.

"Don't listen to those idiots. They don't have a clue what they are talking about. I like you, that's just something the people of this school are going to have to get used to," Luc said, softly caressing my cheek.

"Listen, let me walk you to your first class and we'll forget all about these jerks, okay?"

I nodded, anything to get away from the cluster of lockers that held the group of gossip mongering girls. Scooter licked my hand reassuringly and, at a cluck of my tongue, began the walk to my English class.

English for me was difficult. I had to submit all my papers typed, which caused some dissent among the students becuase they had to write theirs out the long way. I carried a laptop, which, again, caused envy and resentment among the students, but it was the only way for me to get anything done.

When we reached the classroom door, I thanked Luc for walking with me and said I'd see him later. Turning to go into the room, I felt Luc's hand on my shoulder turning me back. Nothing prepared me for the sudden, fleeting kiss that he placed on my lips.

"I'll be seeing you Erica," he said and then he was gone.

I stood as if rooted to the spot. My fingertips reaching up to touch my lips as if to remind myself that it had actually happened. Scooter broke me out of my reverie and I sighed and walked into class.