Chapter 2:The Wish *

Tiffani couldn’t believe she actually made a fool of herself in front of him. Her best friend and her crush. Not that Tiffani wanted to fall for the guy. His arrogant character ticked her off at their first meeting in 4^th grade but when they got close, she actually realized he was good on the inside. Then, unwanted feelings started to develop inside and the harder she fought them, the more she fell in love. Tiffani sighed quietly, feeling her hand in Sam’s again. They had returned to their walking and it had been a while.

“Are we there yet? You know, it’s been a while!” Tiffani complained. Sam didn’t answer and Tiffani was scared that maybe she annoyed him. She couldn’t stand being ignored by him. She was, however, proved wrong.
“We’re here,” said Sam, halting to a stop so suddenly.
“O-oh,” Tiffani said, nearly bumping into him. He took both her hands and led her to another position. Tiffani heard water flowing in her ears; she presumed they were nearby a river or a pond.

“I discovered this place two nights ago,” Sam said, breaking into her thoughts. “I guess we should try it to see if it’s real to its name.”
“What do you mean?” Tiffani asked.
“This fountain,” Sam replied “is called ‘the fountain of desire’. Let’s just say it lets your deepest wishes come true.”

Tiffani was silent at first then she fell into fits of laughter.
“H-hey! I know this might seem like crap,” Sam said “But I just wanna check it out okay?! You should be thankful I even thought of bringing you here.”
“No,” Tiffani said, “I didn’t mean to make fun of you but you, a basketball captain and a jock, telling a myth story like it was your passion made it seem funny.”
“J-just because jocks play sports doesn’t mean they have to be dumb!” Sam replied sounding annoyed. He took her hand and made her extend her hand, her palm outwards. He put a coin onto her palm.
“M-Make a wish.” Sam said.
“Are you serious?!” Tiffani cried out, closing her hand over the coin. She laughed again.
“Fine, if you don’t want to believe this crap then we’d better just go,” said Sam taking her hand again, starting to head back.
“Wait!” Tiffani said, taking her hand away from his. “I-I’m sorry.”
“Do you want to make a wish or not?” Sam asked, his tone with that of impatience.
“Well, what is there to risk by trying it out right?” she asked.
“Yeah…” Sam replied, his voice becoming gentle.

Tiffani took deep breaths and turned around. Sam gently pushed her forward so that she was near the edge of the fountain. She racked her brain with some wishes but she didn’t know what. Then she thought maybe it’s better off wishing for her vision back.
‘I wish-’ Tiffani opened her palm. ‘To have what my heart desires’

The coin fell from her palm and fell in the water, it’s drop gently sending ripples in the surface.
Tiffani stopped to think about what she said. Why did it feel right when what she said was wrong? The words just came out of her heart. She sighed.
“Okay, Ms. Klutz,” Sam said teasingly, taking her hand. “Let’s head back. If I don’t get you home by 7, your brother with skin me”
Tiffani laughed, losing her thought about her wish as she walked back. She felt bad for using her blindness as an advantage but the only feeling she like is when her only best friend is holding her hand.

Then it came again.

Another severe headache. Tiffani was wondering what had happened when she had a flash of an image in her mind. It was showing a guy, with brown hair and his back turned to her, leading her out of a forest like place and then it disappeared. Tiffani held Sam’s hand tighter and shook her head.
“Are you okay?” Sam asked, his voice filled with worry.
“Yeah,” Tiffani answered, releasing her grip on his hands. “I’m alright.”

***

Sam opened the door for her and she walked out of the car.
“Tiffani!” she heard her brother call and she turned around to where the voice came from.
“Tyler,” she said. “What are you doing outside?”
“I was… just watering the plants,” he replied. “Why are you late?”

Tyler glared at Sam, who glared back at him.
“Oh, well then,” Tiffani said, turning back around. “Thanks for the ride, Sam. Careful on your way home.”
“Yeah,” Sam said, sticking his tongue out at Tyler who clenched his jaw in rage. Sam had always gotten on Tyler’s nerve ever since Sam reduced his time spending with his sister.
“Wait a minute, Samuel.” Tiffani said, grinned as he walked towards the car. Sam looked up, inserting the key to start.
“Listen lady, I said it’s Sam!” Sam said. “Seriously!”
Tiffani felt for his face again and she moved closer. Sam stared in astonishment, his face turning crimson.
“Uh, Tiff?” he asked. Tiffani ran her hands on his face- and then smacked him on top of the head again.
“Ouch!” Sam exclaimed. “Not again! What was that for?!!”
“Oh, nothing,” smiled Tiffani. She turned around, walking away with Tyler, who was holding her cane and leading her back.
“Women!” muttered Sam, starting the engine and driving away back to his house but then out of oddness, he smiled again.

***

Tiffani smiled as she heard the engine grow fainter as Sam drove away. She went upstairs to her room to change and came back down to the dining room where Tyler was preparing the plates.
“Are mom and dad here yet?” she asked, sitting down. Tyler put down a plate in front of her.
“Nah, they are still in Egypt, excavating another mummy tomb they found.” replied Tyler.
Tiffani sighed. Since their parents were archeologists, they had spent most of their time away in excavations leaving Tyler to take care of Tiffani alone, which Tyler did very well. Tiffani sniffed and then smiled.
“Lamb chops with broccoli.” She said, her mouth starting to water.
“Good guess,” laughed Tyler, sitting beside her. “Oh, by the way, I have a new job.”
Tiffani picked up her spoon and frowned.
“You always have another job.” She mused, starting to eat. “Don’t you have a girlfriend?”
She heard Tyler drop his spoon and he flustered to pick it up.
“Of course not!” Tyler exclaimed. “I have my reasons, too. Besides, I want experience.”
Tiffani shrugged, smiling and starting to eat.

Then came another headache.

It came more frequently than the day before and because the headache was so severe, it caused her to drop her spoon. Tyler looked in surprised at Tiffani. Her eyes felt like they were being ripped open and she covered her eyes, screaming in pain. Tyler stood up, his chair falling in the process and he went beside her.
“Tiffani, what’s wrong?!” he asked.
Tiffani did not answer, the pain disappearing. She carefully took her hands away from her eyes and opened them. A blurry black and white image came to her vision. Tiffani couldn’t believe it. She could see!
Tiffani turned towards Tyler, who was looking at her with worry. Tyler had change so much when she last saw him. The lively, chubby boy who was then 10 years old had been replaced by a handsome guy with had spiky hair and was looking at her. Tiffani smiled proudly.

“Tyler,” Tiffani said, smiling despite her urge to sleep and reached out a hand to pat him. Tyler gasped in shock, meeting her eyes which suddenly filled with life.
“You…” continued Tiffani. “Sure lost weight…”
Then, as another headache came, Tiffani felt herself being overcome with darkness and she fainted.

***

Chapter 1:Moon shine *

*~‘Magic, Magic hear my plea
Give me this wish I ask from thee
Make my world be sparkling bright
Make my wish come true tonight’~

~~~~

The sunrays shined through the window, it left light feelings on Tiffani’s face and softly waking her from her gentle slumber. Tiffani stretched and yawned and then stood up to get ready for school. She held out her hands to feel a small cane, made smooth from oak wood and carved on its smooth surface, her name. She stood up tapped on the small wooden floor of her room, tapping forward to see if there were any things that were blocking her way or were on the way.

Being blind from an ill-fated accident, 17-year old Tiffani Marks had never bothered to feel pity for herself. After becoming blind, it made her stronger than ever, daring to study in a normal high school even though she knew what the reactions were.
She opened her wardrobe, her clothes in readable Braille tags and she took out her school uniform. It was a long blouse with a black skirt and a red tie. She got ready, carefully tying the tie around her neck. She opened her door to get ready for breakfast, slowly walking down the short stairs towards the kitchen. She heard clanging of pans and plates and sizzling. The wonderful aroma of pancake with syrup filled her nose.

“Good morning” she said. Her older brother Tyler, just 2 years her elder, turned around and smiled at her, although he knew she couldn’t probably see it. His smile faded, as he guided her to sit.
“It’s no use being unhappy for me…you know I hate pity,” Tiffani suddenly said, surprising him.
“How…?” he asked but Tiffany just smiled a knowing smile, her brown eyes without any shine and all empty.
“I can feel you,” she said. “You’re feeling pity for me again.”
Tyler couldn’t help but laugh.
“You can really create a miracle you know that?” he said. “Clara”
“Argh,” Tiffani said, her face making a disgusted look. “Don’t make me remember. I will never play Clara in the nutcracker ever again.”
“The part where you tripped was splendid, Clara” Tyler said, laughing. Tiffani scowled but inside, she felt glad that Tyler was back to normal. Now, if only he can stop reminding her of all her horrible moments. She had played Clara in ‘The Nutcracker’ play back in grade school, when she was still able to see. Eventually, she tripped in one part, which made it the most embarrassing day of her life.

She finished off her breakfast.
“Do I have any stains?” she asked, standing up.
“Yes. No.” Tyler answered.
“Haha, very funny. I’ll know it when I get to school and if I have, be prepared for my cane.” Tiffani said, taking her bag. “Tell mom and dad hi. See ya”
“Let me drive you!” Tyler called after her.
“No need,” she called back. “Sam is picking me up.”
‘Don’t forget! You dear big brother is still here, and isn’t dead yet! I can be relied on” Tyler called out.
Tiffani shook her head and laughed. Later, the sound of the front door was heard closing quietly.
“She’s growing up” Tyler sighed. “She’s not relying on me anymore…”

***

Tiffani walked slowly towards the gate, her cane hitting the rough path, which was in the middle of a beautiful garden. She could smell the flowers and hear the insects like bees, buzzing around to get pollen. How she longed to see these flowers, many colours and types unimaginable. She looked back into her childhood memory before the accident.

She smiled to herself.

Suddenly an arm wrapped itself around her shoulder. She smiled wider.
“Hello, Samuel” she said.
Her best friend, 18-year old Samuel scowled.
“It’s SAM. S-A-M,” Sam said. “For a blind girl, you could be called deaf too.”
Tiffani grinned, held out her hands to feel Sam’s face.
“Ah…” she said, feeling something soft against her hands. “The scarf I gave you for Christmas 8 years ago…does it still fit you?!”
Sam grinned at her, taking her hand in his and leading her slowly into his car. Sam was the only one that had treated Tiffani like a normal girl and she never felt any pity for her and Tiffani smiled at this.
“Yep. It’s still good as new too,” he said.
“Unbelievable.” Tiffani laughed. She smiled secretly, her hand still warm from Sam’s hold. Sam really didn’t know what was under his nose. She heard him walk around to the other side of the car and he hopped in with her.
“Seatbelts!” Sam said, taking his seatbelt and fixed it across his body to keep him safe. Tiffani did the same. Sam started the car and they went on their way to school, like they have always done ever since they met.
Tiffani’s head ached and she bit her lip, trying not to cry out. It has been like this since last night and it was getting worse every day. The causes to it, she didn’t know but she was sure this wasn’t a normal headache.
”Anything wrong?” Sam asked and Tiffani shook her head quickly.

“Everything’s fine,” She sighed. “Just perfectly fine”

***
After arriving school, Sam told Tiffani he had club meeting, which wasn’t unusual because he had a lot of clubs.
“See you after school? I’ll take you somewhere you will like.” Sam said. Tiffani smiled and nodded as she opened her locker combination, also in Braille. They said goodbye to each other, parting in their different routes in school where Tiffani would be usually ignored and Sam would be praised by guys and surrounded on by girls. Tiffani wondered what Sam was talking about. What kind of place would be useful for a blind girl like her to be taken when she couldn’t see anything?

The lessons were usually, as they were, normal and like any other day except in Literature.
She felt someone beside her but she didn’t acknowledge it like usual because she was sure the whole school knew she was a blind girl. She was wrong.
“You know, it’s not good to ignore people.” Said the voice beside her, which startled her.
“P-pardon me?” she asked, turning to the direction of the voice. A male.
“I’ve been smiling and waving at you but you plainly ignore me,” he said.
Tiffani looked down as she got her electronic reader, a small machine, which helped her read her textbooks. She opened it and showed it as well as her cane to the guy.
The guy let out a simple, “Oh.”
“You’re blind?” he asked, astonished and clearly embarrassed.
“Yes,’ she said giving out a simple giggle, the situation amused her where nobody had ever told this poor soul about her.
“I’m sorry for my earlier remark,” The guy said. Tiffani shook, her head.
“It’s alright,” she said.
“I’m Yael.” He said, taking her hand into his and shaking it gently.
“That’s an unusual name.” Tiffani remarked, shaking his hand.
“My mother’s idea. She was in love with those boring Greek names and when I was born, that’s what she called me,” He explained. “Yael”
“My name’s Tiffani,” Tiffani said. “With an I instead of a Y”
“Tiffani. I’ll be sure to remember that,” Yael said.
“Are you new here? Nobody seems to tell you there’s a blind girl in this school.” Tiffani said.
“I’ve just moved in with my parents and twin sister, Alexandria. She’s in this class too but,” Yael looked at the back of the class where his sister was already in an animated discussion with a few guys. “It seems she has made her group of friends.”

Tiffani smiled then there was a knock in the door and the teacher suddenly came in.
“Ah, I see now that our new students have arrived.” The teacher, Mrs. Sunrale said. “Please, introduce yourselves.”
There was shuffling beside her and at the back of the class.

“Hi everyone, my name is Alexandria, but you can call me Alexa,” A female voice said in the back of the class. “I’m 18 years old last March.”
“My name’s Yael,” Yael said from beside her. “I’m also 18 years old last March.”

There was a murmur throughout the whole class as her said this.


“Yes, we’re both twins,” Yael explained. “And I’m planning to join the basketball club.”

“Welcome, man!” one of the guys said in the back of the class. They hooted and Tiffani heard Yael laugh. She smiled in amusement.
“Yes, Welcome Yael and Alexa but I hope you will keep your welcome party later, Derrick,” Mrs. Sunrale told the guy who had welcomed Yael. “For we are in class now. Everyone take out your exercise books and we shall continue with reading ‘Twelfth night’ by William Shakespeare. We are now in Act 2, scene no. 4”

Mrs. Sunrale looked around the class.
“Yael, why don’t you try out what we do? You shall play Duke and,” she looked around some more. “Tiffani, why don’t you assist him? You shall play Viola. Start in ‘What if she cannot love you.’”
The class became quiet and Tiffani, flustered, stood up and took out the Braille sheet.
“What if she cannot love you, sir?” she started, her voice shaking even though in darkness, she knew all eyes were on her. She ran her fingers gently on the dots.
“I cannot be so answer'd,” Yael replied, his voice seemingly more masculine and it had fitted his character, Duke.
“Sooth, but you must. Say that some lady, as perhaps there is, Hath for your love as great a pang of heart,” Tiffani replied, running her fingers over the dots which told her the lines.
“Okay, stop right there.” Mrs. Sunrale said. Tiffani felt her teacher’s gaze move towards her. “Miss. Marks, when have I ever told you to read aloud?”
“U-uh…this is the first time,” Tiffani answered.
“You have a good actress’ voice, so do you Mr. Trent.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Sunrale.” He replied, looking at Tiffani and the corner of his eyes and smiling whereas Tiffani stood, her knees shaking.
“There are Drama auditions after school…I think there will be a few problems for you, Miss Marks but I would be glad if you came.” Mrs. Sunrale was the drama teacher.
“I’d love to,” Yael said. “But only if Miss. Marks would be happy to accompany me.”
“I’ll think about it,” Tiffani said, her face becoming red. She sat down quickly and kept her head down while the teacher explained the lesson.

‘Suddenly, the earth had seemed to gone upside down’ she thought to herself.

***

Tiffani waited in front of her locker, tapping her cane impatiently, waiting for Sam.
“Tiff!” she heard someone call and she smiled, turning to the direction of the voice.
Then her smile turned into a frown, as Sam reached her.
“YOU are late,” she said, feeling his face and then tapping him on the head.
“Ow! What was that for?!” Sam exclaimed, rubbing his head.
“For being late!” she said, opening the cover of her watch for the blind and touching the arms on it, which read 4:20. 30 minutes since she has been waiting.
“Look, I’m sorry, alright?” Sam said, “I got held up by coach”
Tiffani shook her head. “You are forgiven…THIS time,” she said.
Sam grinned, took her cane and held her hand. They walked together, hand in hand towards her car.

“Where are we going Sam?” she asked, putting on her seat belt.
“You’ll see,” Sam said, starting the engine and driving. Tiffani leaned back onto the headrest, letting the wind against her face as she rode together with Sam in his blue convertible, which he had received from his parents on his 17^th birthday. Tiffani closed her eyes, tired from all the things that had happened just that day and fell right asleep.

A while later, she felt someone shaking her. She opened her eyes, darkness still greeting her.
“Are we there already?” Tiffani asked, sitting up.
“Yep,” Sam replied, getting out of the car. “Come on, get out so we can go there already!” Tiffani sighed.
“You could at least help me,” she said under her breath.
“You say anythin’?” Sam asked, turning to look at her.
Tiffani smiled. “Oh, nothing!” she said, taking off her seatbelt and getting out the car. Again, she felt his hands into hers and he started to lead her somewhere. Tiffani followed, her footsteps in chorus with his. Their surrounding was quiet and she couldn’t hear anything.
“Where is this place?” she asked, unsure and wishing she had brought her cane.
“You’ll know soon enough,” was all he said. They walked in silence, Tiffani trying to feel her surroundings and Sam walking on ahead, leading her to an unknown place. Then, her foot hit a rock, making her trip in the process. She gasped.
Sam turned around, pulling her forward and stopping the trip. Suddenly, Tiffani found herself in Sam’s arms and his arms around her; together they were on the ground. This made her blush.
“Ouch…” Sam said.
Tiffani felt for him. “Are you hurt?” she asked worried.
“No,” Sam replied, and then he looked at her. “You are so heavy.”
Tiffani let out an annoyed growl and stood up quickly, dusting herself. “Hmp!”
“What? No thanks?” Sam said, feigning bewilderment.
“Thank you!” Tiffani said in a low voice.
“What?” Sam said. “Can’t hear ya.”
“I SAID,” Tiffani cleared her throat. “Thank you.”