I’ve been blind my entire life. Well, that’s a lie. I’ve actually been blind since I was 4 years and 52 days old. First, my right eye started to blur, I couldn’t see my mom’s face anymore with that eye. I couldn’t see her warm, hazel eyes and soft brown hair. Then, about a year later, my left started doing the same thing. I miss all the colors now, it felt almost impossible to live without being able to see. Many people assumed I did have sight and were surprised when I stumbled constantly into things. I have a lot of bruises.
Once I thought I wouldn’t have to worry about making friends in school. That was when I was 4 years old and 51 days. Now, all I can think about is friends. I’m lonely sometimes. I’m the only blind person in my school, and in my city. I was really depressed for a while and almost considered some bad things. I'm better now, thanks to him...and her.

6:10 a.m. -Monday
The little alarm on my bedside table blared an evil sound. I let my eyes shift to the sunlight and dozed off again. I’ve always thanked myself for my smarts, like how I set an alarm at 6:10 and then another at 6:15. That way I can doze for five minutes before having to wake up for real.
I stepped off my bed and found the whatever-color dresser. I counted the knobs on each drawer until I found the third and pulled a shirt. I felt inside the sleeve for my little cheat sheet, a series of sewed knots to let me know which color it was.
Ready for another day, I grabbed my stick before leaving my room and carefully walked down the stairs. I felt for the fruit bowl to find something to eat. My hand plunked down on a fruit with a rough texture and slightly squishy. Immediately, I knew it was orange variety. But was it a mandarin orange? Tangerine? Clementine? One bite and I could tell.
Peeling, peeling, mmm...
It was a clementine, definitely. When you’ve been blind for eleven years you begin to pick up scents and smells more adequately.
I finished my clementine, picked up my stick, and walked out the red door shouting to my parents, who were busy getting ready, “ Bye, love you!”
They hated when I left without letting them help me. I guess it made them feel guilty.



6:54 a.m.
After a long bus haul, I was at school. A few more steps to the door, I told myself. A few more steps then I'm officially under the school’s protection and rules. You have biology, then language arts, study hall, then lunch, and finally math. I always reviewed my schedule beforehand, making sure I wouldn’t forget the schedule I had been repeating to myself for 75 days.
In biology, we learned about animal organisms and how if we plucked a hair out we could compare our DNA to the animal’s. Of course, Rob volunteered and wasn’t at all surprised when It came to show that he had the most common to animal DNA particles than anybody else in the class.
In language arts, Ms. Pyper rambled on a lecture that kept sectioning off to midlife crisis’s and ex-husbands. Poor Ms. Pyper, we never really get anything done in that class.
Study hall was easy, of course. I listened to some music and practiced reading brail, even though I was quite the brail reader.
Lunch.
Math got heated after some new kid, I’m guessing, told Rob he thought he was too tall and looked foolish. I didn’t have anything to say, not seeing Rob since I was 4. I got all my work finished and even started some extra credit.

3:02 p.m.
I started to get on the bus when I seemingly fell off the steps. Someone accidently pushed me. Thanks. I started to feel around for my stick when all of a sudden a warm hand helped me up and gave me the stick.
“Thank you s-” I began to say.
“You can ride with me.” a familiar voice said. I knew immediately it was Ethan McGreen. I had a huge crush on him in Pre-K, and, for some reason, my cheeks started to blush. I couldn’t move, I was paralyzed.
“Is something wrong?” he asked. I knew I would have to answer both of what he said I just awkwardly said, “ I’m fine, and, yes, I would like a ride.”
He guided me to his car and opened the door. I thanked him and told him my address. He already knew it, of course. Everybody knew where everybody lived in this small town. Mid- trip we started talking.
“ So...um...how’s it going?” he said with a question in his voice.
“Great.”
“Oh good. Um... I saw this thing, um... you know what never mind.”
“What? What is it?” I urged as I playfully shook him, noticing we were at a spotlight. I was glad we could still play like this, I missed him.
“Nothing!” he squeaked as the car started to roll. Ugh, I thought, why can’t it always be like this? The car started to slow down and he helped out and up to my house. Wow, that was much better than the bus. I turned and said, “Maybe we can do this, carpool, instead of the bus.”
“Sure.” he said, and I could tell he was smiling.

5:17 p.m.
We talked for hours on the phone after gaining up the courage to ask Siri to call him. We talked about pretty much everything, school, grades, our lives. I realized I really, really missed him. Why did I have to be blind? I wanted to see his face, text him all day, be able to have a picnic with him without asking where the basket was. Life, I guess.

5:31 p.m.
I went for a walk. I had the streets memorized and counted each step until I had to turn. 104,105, 106, turn. I was about to turn onto Redding Oaks when I heard the slapping of multiple feet running towards me. Runners, I thought, until the sound got really close. Panicking, I stumbled over a bush that belonged to, if I’m right, Teresa Humley. She was in my grade and had Language Arts with me. Nice, I guess, except for when she switched our names on papers to get a better grade.
Discombobulated and nervous, I quickly realized I was more scared than I had ever been. What is that sound? I wanted to scream. After maybe 16 seconds, yes, I counted, I felt a rumble in the bushes. I felt leaves and branches brush my arm. Finally, a wet, rough, and weirdly smelling thing brushed up against me. Huh?
I pulled myself up and grabbed to something small and fuzzy. A dog! So many things were running through my head. A dog, really/ I’ve always wanted one but parents thought it was too risky. I picked up the little guy/girl and shimmied out of the bushes. Out of the bushes and into the face of someone actually jogging.

6:03 p.m.
“Sophie?”
“Ethan?”
“What were doing in the bushes? And more importantly, why is there a lab puppy in your arms?”
How would I explain that? Well, Ethan, you see, I thought this tiny puppy was a mass of angry runners charging me.
“I just fell and it ran into my arms.”
There was slight pause before he piped back up again, “ It’s a girl, so you can call it a she.”
A girl? I loved girl dogs, especially the feisty ones that protected you but also jumped on your lap and drowned you in kisses.
“She... is... amazing.”
“But she can’t stay. It’s someone’s dog. No collar, but she is little and that could explain it. I’ll take her around and find her owner. You focus on getting home.”
I was dumbfounded, I wanted that puppy. But he was right, it wasn’t mine.
“Ok. See you later?”

8:22 a.m. - Friday- a while later
We haven’t talked since that day. It’s been 4 months and I don’t think he’s at school, either. What happened to him? What did I do so bad?
No one else really notices he’s gone. I’m the only one, and I probably always will be. Did he move? Did he change schools? It would be pointless if he came back anyway. It was the last day of school before summer. Everyone was rowdy all day and I wasn’t, obviously.
I missed him and the poor puppy. I wonder if it really was somebody’s, or if it was stray. Did he keep it to himself? Who really knows anything anymore.

3:00 p.m.
The bell rang. I could honestly feel the floor vibrate as I got up from my seat. Walking out, I could feel someone tug my arm. It was my mom. That’s our little end of school tradition, she picks me up instead of having to ride the bus. I loved her.
We navigated through excited teens in the parking lot, according to my mom. After five minutes I felt the Clarestille pothole. We had only just gotten out of the parking lot.
On the way home, I couldn’t help thinking about Ethan. I wanted to talk to him. I wanted him to call me.

8:49 a.m. - Saturday
He called me.
At first I was really confused. Why would he only call me after all this time? He gave me an address. I thought that was weird. I was really debating whether to go or not. I started to ball up the paper that had the address when my mom came in my room.
“What’s that, honey?”
I unfolded it and gave it to her.
“Ooh. Let’s go then.”
Did I hear her right? Did she even know who it was from or where it lead to? She guided me through the house even though I didn’t need the help and sat me in the car.
“Mom, where are we going?” I questioned.
“Wherever that address leads to.” she replied. That was all I could I could get from her.

9:14 a.m.
“We’re here!”
Deep breaths, remember, in and out. I got out slowly, like molasses. One more try, I thought.
“Mom, where are we?” Silence. She opened a door and a voice that was way too familiar greeted my ears.
“Hey.” he said. Ethan McGreen, what is it now?
I suddenly heard a bark. He shushed the barking animal and seemingly walked towards me.
“You remember that day you were in the bushes with that dog?”
Do I?
“Well, I haven’t been at school for a while because I've been here. They some homeschooling style kind of teaching. But, anyways, that day in the bushes, I realized there was something I really wanted to give you. Something that would change our life forever. So, I trained your little puppy into a not-so-little-anymore guide dog.”
“A guide dog?” I squealed. This was too good to be true, I thought. Guide dogs were really amazing animals that I did probably need, but I didn’t want to seem selfish.
He brought the little puppy I had held months before and she licked me. I was in the seventh heaven.
“I thought you said she might belong to someone.”
“That’s because she did, to me. I had planning that for a while and adopted her. Not long after I brought her home she escaped and then, well, you know the rest.”
This was amazing. He did all of this just benefit me.
“Thank you, I can’t thank you enough. This is actually...amazing. What’s her name?”
“Rosie. So your little ship name could be...” he took a moment to think”... Sosie!”
“ Perfect!”

I was about to leave with Rosie when I realized I hadn’t thanked him enough. I turned around, dropped the leash, and ran into is arms, thanking him a million times.

And that’s how the story ends, me and a hug. Oh, and don’t forget about Rosie.