audreys-page

Kane - The dying

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 01:16:01 +0100

Ok i didn't like it, it was waaaaaaaay too cheesy, but here it is!

Kane - The Dying

HOW YOU MET:

Kane moved to your town and became your next-door neighbor in 7th grade. You became fast friends, and fast friends became boyfriend and girlfriend once you reached high school. Kane had the warmest embrace, the warmest kiss, and the warmest heart. One day, unfortunately, he had the warmest temperature as well. You couldn't understand it. He always seemed to be sick, cancelling plans from nausea and high fever. Whenever you saw him, he had strange bruises. You knew his parents were as friendly as Kane was, but you became uncertain. He assured you his parents weren't abusing him, even though he couldn't explain how the bruises got there. After a while, his sickness began to affect his daily life. He was so fatigued he fell asleep in school, he lost weight, and his gums began bleeding. Finally his parents took him to the doctor - where he was diagnosed with leukemia.

THE STORY:

It has been 6 months since Kane was first diagnosed and every last minute of it has been a nightmare. The doctors had put him on chemotherapy at first, which did nothing but further harm to Kane's body. You'd stuck with Kane during all the miserable days when his body ached all over, when he couldn't stop throwing up, when he could barely keep himself awake. You have always been thankful that the chemotherapy spared Kanes' gorgeous hair. You now sit on the couch beside him, both silent. He has just learned today that his cancer is terminal, and that he has one to two months to live. The only hope he has of surviving is a bone marrow transplant - and the doctor is refusing his insurance plan. Kane's eyes are downcast, and you wonder if he even feels you put your arm around his waist. You sit in silence for five painfully long minutes. Then Kane speaks: ''My life and death are resting in the hands of the doctor, and right now he is deciding I should die because our insurance won't pay him his fat cash.'' Tears are streaming down your face. Ever since you heard about it, you've burned with anger against the doctor. Aren't doctors supposed to truly care about their patients? Aren't doctors supposed to help? Aren't doctors supposed to keep people alive and healthy as long as possible? A bone marrow transplant is the only way Kane has a chance of beating the cancer and his insurance won't accept it. You hate the doctor and you hate Kane's insurance company even more. Kane looks over at you and smiles weakly. His skin is pale and there are dark circles under his eyes. ''I look pretty bad, don't I?'' he says, ''I always forget how sick I look until you come over.'' ''I dont care, you always look amazing to me,'' you say, only half-lying. Kane gives you a look of disbelief, and you run your hand through his hair gently. ''I'm glad you still have hair,'' you say, leaning in to kiss him. You haven't done so in a while from him being so sick. He leans back, surprised. ''You still want to kiss me? Wouldn't you rather go smooch some guy who's a lot stronger, cuter, and healthier?'' You see insecurity in his eyes, and you know he doesn't know whether he's good enough for you anymore. To answer his question, you entwine your fingers through his hair and softly kiss him. His lips are cold, but somehow your insides feel the familiar warmth. You pull away and look into his eyes and are startled to see them with tears - all this time with cancer and Kane hardly ever cried. ''I don't want to die,'' he says in a choked voice, ''I don't want to leave you.'' Immediately you start crying as well and you embrace his frail body. ''I love you, Kane, and I always will,'' you whisper. ''If...if I don't get the transplant by the end of the month...I-I don't know how much longer it'll be before I...'' Kane doesn't need to finish his sentence for you to know what he's talking about. You never want to think about what life would be like without Kane. You don't think you could survive. ''It's a deep question, but...'' Kane starts to say, then pauses. ''But what?'' you ask. ''If I don't get the transplant by the end of the month, would you marry me?'' he asks, ''Just so my last days are the best of my life.'' As weak as his body is, his eyes are strong with passion for you. ''If I could, I would marry you now,'' you say, kissing him again. ''I really mean it,'' Kane says. ''And I really mean it too, Kane,'' you say, ''It would be the best days of my life too. I can't...I can't live without....'' You can't finish. Kane warmly embraces you and gently brushes his hand down your hair, kissing your ear. ''Don't say that,'' he says, ''You have to find a life after I'm....if I end up leaving forever.'' ''I can't live without you, Kane,'' you sob, ''I just can't.'' Kane gazes sadly into your eyes. You wish he were healthy, like he used to be. You know you can't wait a lifetime if he dies. Suddenly Kane places his hands on your cheeks and kisses you with so much passion you forget how to breathe. All time stops and there's nothing left of the world but you and Kane. After the kiss ends, Kane collapses. You lay his head on your lap and bawl your eyes out, praying harder than you've ever prayed before for Kane's life.

LATER:

The end of the month approaches and there has been no progress with the insurance company. Kane looks more ill than ever, but he always looks gorgeous in your eyes. As Kane's final wish, you two get married. You have to be much gentler with him, but he somehow finds the strength to please you. The end of his life approaches, your tears fall faster, your hope sinks...until the phone rings.

IN THE FUTURE:

Miraculously Kane's insurance company accepts the bone marrow transplant. Kane is rushed to the hospital where he receives the transplant successfully. For what seems like forever, the new bone marrow seems to be doing nothing at all, but slowly you realize Kane is getting better. Occasionally his body goes through some scary phases where it reacts around the new bone marrow, but otherwise Kane slowly starts getting healthier. His smile is brighter. His kiss is stronger. After a full year and a half, he has finally gone into remission and he is back to full strength. With all the money that's been donated to him through fundraisers and benefits, he takes you on a Jamaican cruise with him. One night you're sitting on deck gazing at the stars. He looks at you and whispers, ''You know, you've always been there for me, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer. In sickness and in health. You were doing that before we even got married.'' ''I fell madly in love with you, and I still am, how can I not be there for you always?'' you ask with a smile. ''I know you didn't get to enjoy some of the things you would have gotten if you...well, dated other stronger healthier guys,'' Kane continues, ''Like going on dates, doing fun things like amusement parks. I was just a little shrimp and all you could do was sit around and take care of me.'' ''I loved taking care of you, Kane,'' you say stubbornly. ''Well, sure, but now that I'm healthy again,'' he says with a mischievous grin, ''Why don't we do some of the things every married couple ought to do?'' Later he takes you dancing, and then when you get ready for bed, he surprises you with a very passionate session of love-making. After you get home from the cruise, you discover you're pregnant. Later on, you and Kane have 7 kids. Kane's leukemia never comes back and you both live to be over 100 years old.

Khris - The Very Very Popular one

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 01:03:03 +0100

HOW YOU MET:

You've known Khris pretty much your whole life - and you've never been impressed with him. Even from the very moment he was born, he was the most popular baby in the hospital. His parents were rich, he had a gajillion rich relatives (you've always secretly wondered if he were related to Donald Trump or Bill Gates), and he was spoiled beyond all hope. Now in high school, nothing has changed, except perhaps that his parents are even richer now. He gets whatever he wants whenever he wants and it makes you mad because your family is lower-middle class and can hardly afford anything other than necessities. You are the loner at school while everyone flocks around Khris like he's a celebrity. You don't like him. At all. But the thing that annoys you the most is how he looks at you all the time - like you're some little speck of dirt that doesn't belong in his perfect life.

THE STORY:

You are walking the halls at school, staying invisible like usual. Sometimes you wish so badly you had friends, but other times you don't care. You don't have to worry about backstabbing, gossip, what they'll think of you, etc. Now is one of those times you wish someone was there to talk with you. Up ahead, you notice Khris and his 150-member posse coming down the opposite direction. The halls aren't that big, so as you pass, you accidentally bang into Khris's arm. He stops and looks at you, his narrow eyes boring into you. He opens his mouth and you can just hear what he's going to say even before he says it: ''Watch where you're going, idiot.'' You immediately turn away from him and continue your walk up the hall before you can hear him. Sure, you want friends, but you don't ever want to be as popular and spoiled as Khris.

LATER:

After school, you start to walk home. It's absolutely freezing outside, with flurries already adding to the 3 inches of snow on the ground. You'd rather walk home than get packed into a bus with kids who'll only either ignore you or make fun of you. You start down the sidewalk when a car pulls up next to you. It's a sleek black beautiful Mustang. The windows are tinted, but you don't even need to see through them to know it's Khris's car. The window rolls down and you wonder what crude remark he's going to yell at you before he drives off. You keep walking. Then you hear his voice: ''Need a ride?'' You stop for a second or two and look at him confusedly, but then say, ''No, I'm good'' and continue walking. He follows closely with his car and yells, ''It's four degrees out there. You'll freeze. Hop in the car.'' You do feel very numb already and his offer sounds pretty good. Against your better judgement, you get into the passenger side of his car. The heat in his car feels good. ''Where do you live?'' he asks. You tell him your street name. ''That's a heck of a long way to walk in this weather,'' he says, looking at you ''like that'' again. ''I'm sorry for inconveniencing you,'' you mutter, refusing to look at him, even though you can feel his stare on you. ''I never said you were inconveniencing me,'' Khris says, ''This is just crappy weather to walk home in.'' You wonder why he's even bothering talking with you when it hits you. Of course. Every girl in the school dreams of being Khris's date - and probably has been at one time or another. You are the only one he hasn't ''scored'' yet. And you plan to keep it that way. You're not going to be another one of his statistics. You don't talk to him until he pulls into your driveway, when you mutter a ''thanks'' and trot up to your front door. You try to open it - but it's locked. Where's your mom? She works out of the home, so she's there all day. You ring the doorbell. No one answers. You know you don't have a key on you and the spare is getting fixed. You wish you could just die. Nobody else gets locked out of their house like this. ''Locked out?'' a voice calls. You turn around and notice Khris is still there. You nod at him. ''Well, come back in the car then, it's warmer in here than it is out there,'' he says, getting back into his car. You sigh and get back into his car as well. ''Oh yeah, now I remember Mom saying she had to go grocery shopping,'' you say under your breath, ''I guess she's not back yet.'' ''Are you hungry? Do you want to get something to eat?'' Khris asks. You look at him suspiciously. ''Don't you have a girlfriend?'' you ask. ''No,'' he responds, ''But you didn't answer my question.'' You stare at him for a moment. You've always agreed he's very cute, but you've thought his personality too ugly to even consider him. You wonder if he has a hidden agenda or if this is how he really is. You don't want to be taken advantage of. ''What is it about me that you don't like?'' he suddenly interrupts your thoughts. You look at him confusedly. ''Whenever I try to talk to you, you ignore me,'' he goes on, ''Whenever I try to be nice, you refuse the gesture. You're always glaring at me like I'm the biggest jerk you've ever met in your life. I don't understand what I've done to deserve this.'' You're startled. You always thought HE was the one staring at you like you were the jerk. Still, you don't understand why he would get upset over this. ''What do you care what I think? I'm just one person and I'm not even among your gajillion friends,'' you say. ''I've been trying to befriend you,'' he says, ''I've always thought you were a really interesting girl. A bit misunderstood at times, I guess, and lonely, but I wanted to get to know you. Most of the kids who hang around me just do it to 'raise their status,' like it's important. Yes, I'm popular and I'm rich, which makes me luckier than most other kids, but I'm still a person, you know.'' He's now staring deeply into your eyes, seemingly entranced. You keep yourself guarded. ''How many other girls have you used those lines on?'' you ask. Khris looks like you just slapped him in the face. ''I've heard the stories about what you do to girls, as they're only 'objects to be triumphed' for you,'' you say. ''And I've heard the stories about Snow White and the seven dwarves, but they're just stories!'' Khris exclaims, looking more hurt than you thought he'd be. ''What you don't realize is, being popular isn't really 'the life' all the time. People start rumors about you that are so opposite from the truth. I've heard girls talk about how much they had a 'perfect date' with me when I never went out with them at all. In fact, I've only had a few girlfriends in my life. When I turn some girls down, they get really mad and start stupid rumors about me, like how I 'raped' them. I just assume that no one's going to believe them because it's obviously not true. I'm a virgin. But apparently a bunch of people believe that I take advantage of girls just because I'm popular!'' Suddenly you feel absolutely horrible about everything you said to him - and even everything you've ever believed about him. Inside you knew you never gave him a chance because you thought he'd never give you a chance. He's popular. You're not. He's rich. You're not. You always thought he was conceited. Now you see how much he's really just a person like you. ''I'm sorry,'' you say, ''I just never thought you'd...you'd ever like...I mean...'' He sighs and looks at you sadly. ''That's another disadvantage to being popular,'' he says, ''The only girl you really like is the one you can't have because she doesn't think she's 'good enough.''' You freeze and stare at him, unaware your mouth is hanging open. ''I-I'm the only girl in school you really like?'' you stammer. ''I've liked you since 6th grade! I always tried to show you, but most of the time all I could ever get to do was just look at you,'' Khris says. ''Really? I always thought you were looking at me like you hated my guts,'' you say. ''You always turned away before I could smile at you,'' Khris says. You stare at him and he stares at you. You look at his lips, suddenly longing for them. Slowly he leans forward. He stops inches from your face. ''Can I...? I mean, I've been wanting to since 6th grade,'' he says with a nervous laugh. ''Well, I'm pretty much invisible at school, so if you want to kiss air, then go ahead,'' you smile. He leans the rest of the way in and presses his lips deeply into yours. It's your first kiss and it takes your breath away. After he pulls away, he looks breathless as well. ''Well, that certainly didn't feel like kissing air,'' he says. You laugh and start to lean in to kiss him again when your mom pulls into the driveway. ''Drat,'' you and Khris say at the same time. As your mom steps out of her car, you squeeze Khris's hand, smile, and say ''see you tomorrow'' as you get out of his car. Your mom asks, ''Who's he?'' You reply, ''Oh, just the guy I think I fell in love with a few minutes ago.''

IN THE FUTURE:

You and Khris go public, which makes you part of the popular crowd. However, you don't enjoy it as much as you thought you would - particularly because a lot of other girls are starting to get mad at you. You become the target of their rumors and hate messages. It gets to be too much at times, but just when you think you can't take it anymore, Khris makes you feel entirely better. Somehow you manage to survive to the end of high school, where you and Khris go to the same college. Khris is as popular in college as he always has been, and there is an unfortunate incident where a girl approached him determinedly and began kissing him, even though he tried to pull away. You caught them and couldn't believe it. Khris begs you to believe him, that he tried to get away from her, but you decide to break up with him. After a while, though, you realize you never had any reason to doubt Khris's word and you come back to him. There is still tension between you two, as you both are still hurt, but eventually you work it out and a couple years later you get married and have 3 rich popular kids.

Harlan- The Guilty

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 01:00:46 +0100

Harlan says, his face filled with hurt as well. ''If you think I'm 'too much of a blessing' for you, then why did you even ask me out in the first place? It would've been better if you'd just left me alone,'' you say and start to close the door, but he puts his hand out and stops it. ''Please,'' he says, ''Don't be angry at me like this. I....I'll explain everything. I really, truly lo--...like you, and I don't want to break up, but you don't realize...you think I'm the greatest nicest guy in the world and you don't see that your boyfriend's a criminal.'' Confused but taking his word that he'll tell you his story, you let him inside. He pauses, looks at you nervously, then says, ''It's...it's just so hard to...I wish I didn't have to tell you this.'' ''Well, you're telling me because I'm tired of guys not telling me anything before they leave me,'' you say, then decide to be less harsh with him because he really seems to be struggling and you say, ''I mean...you know you can tell me anything. I'll listen, I won't tell anyone else. Just get it off your chest. I haven't done anything to make you not trust me.'' ''I know, I trust you,'' Harlan says, ''It's me I don't trust. It's...it happened the beginning of this school year, at my old school. I've always been a good kid, you know. I have a good relationship with my parents, I get good grades, I don't go out partying or drinking or anything. Never tried any of that stuff. Ever since 7th grade everyone, even my friends kept making fun of me because I wouldn't 'lighten up' and 'have fun.' I always shrugged it off. A relationship with my parents and making a future for myself was more important than getting drunk or high. But finally...for the first time, I decided I wasn't going to be the prude in school anymore, so I went to a party and...well, I didn't even really like the beer, but hey, I finally got accepted. I downed a couple pretty fast and felt a little buzzed, and I decided to leave early. My parents thought I was just at a friends house hanging out, so if I hung around and drunk even more, it'd be really noticeable. So I just decided to go. I was driving down an old country road, feeling funny but still okay, I guess...or, well...I wasn't so okay. I thought I saw something drop on the floor over by the passenger side. Normally if I were thinking straight, I'd never just reach down and pick it up, I'd pull over, but I just reached down this time. I didn't see it at first so I kept searching. Then I heard the sound of brakes being slammed on and I looked up just in time to see me approaching another car head-on.'' Harlan pauses, tears welling up in his eyes. He looks at the ground and swallows, then in a choked voice continues, ''To make a long story short, I hit the car. I got banged up a little. Broke my arm, got some nasty cuts on my forehead and neck, which is kinda the reason I grew my hair long. But the woman in the other car...she was a young woman, 26 years old. Had a husband and 3 young kids. Made a living as a nurse. I killed her.'' Harlan looks into your eyes, the tears spilling down his cheeks. ''She died on impact,'' he whispers, ''All because of one time when I decided to do something I knew wasn't that smart. My BAC wasn't even all that high, it was only .10, but it was enough to knock my common sense down a few notches. I was taken to court, and....well, the woman's husband, apparently he was really devoted to God or something. He was actually really nice to me. Told me it was an accident. I'd made a mistake, but I could see how wrong I was and how bad I felt about it. And I felt horrible, as horrible as you can feel. I felt like a murderer. I would do anything just to take back that night...'' Harlan pauses again, then finishes his story by saying, ''So the man asked the judge and jury to give me a light sentence. The judge revoked my license and gave me 100 hours of community service, plus I had to pay a hefty fine. So...I just worked all the community service off right before I moved here. I had to move. Everyone called me a murderer at my old school. I had a girlfriend back then...she slapped me in the face, told me she was ashamed she ever fell for a murderer, and then never even looked at me again. So now I'm here...'' He looks into your face with uncertainty. Your face is written with shock as you're trying to process what he told you. Your too-good-to-be-true boyfriend has actually killed someone before. You know in your heart, though, that Harlan deserves this other chance. He'd made a mistake that had an enormously tragic consequence, but you know he'd never do it again. You know he's tried to make amends for what he did. You know he is still a good boyfriend and a smart kid. ''You hate me, don't you,'' Harlan sighs, turning away. ''I knew this would happen, that's why I thought it would be best if it just ended before--'' You interrupt him by grabbing his shoulders, jerking him back to face you, and kissing him gently. Your heart warms as you *finally* get to feel his perfect lips against yours. ''Yes, I hate you that much,'' you say as you pull apart. Harlan looks like a fish out of water for a few seconds, then says, ''What do you do when you like someone?'' ''You may want to back against the wall, then, that kind of kiss is pretty extreme,'' you say with a smirk. To your delight, Harlan backs against a wall, smiles, and says, ''I'm ready.'' You entwine your fingers in his hair and press your lips deeply into his. He wraps his arms around your waist and kisses you back, opening his mouth slightly. You kiss passionately for 2 minutes (which actually feels more like 2 wonderful hours to you) before you finally pull apart. ''I still think you're much more than I deserve,'' Harlan says, looking into your eyes. ''And I still think you deserve this second chance to create a new beginning for yourself,'' you say, ''And hey, if me being your girlfriend is involved in this second chance, count me in.'' Harlan laughs and blurts out, ''I love you.'' Both of you freeze. Harlan looks as if he can't believe he just said it out loud. ''I love you too,'' you say back finally. You both pause again, then Harlan says, ''You hate me, so you kiss me gently. Then you like me, so you kiss me passionately. What happens when you love me?'' This time both of you somehow wind up on the floor and the kissing goes on for quite a while longer than just 2 minutes.

IN THE FUTURE:

Harlan is just as smart and responsible as he was before the accident. At times you get frustrated with his occasional bouts of low self-worth, but after you're done talking (and usually a little more than talking) with him, he feels better and he has strength to face the world. You both get married after you both graduate college and you have 4 boys.

Antioch-The Deaf 3 last part

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 00:41:00 +0100

IN THE FUTURE:

''Someday'' comes sooner than you expect when you both marry at age 19. With Antioch's caring understanding nature and his tendency to look people in the face a lot, he became a great psychologist. You had 1 little girl and you lived happily together until he died at the age of 89. Heartbroken, you died a week later. When you saw him in heaven, you both were 19 years old again. ''Guess what?'' he says, a gigantic grin on his face. ''Last week I heard music for the very first time!''

Antioch- The Deaf 2

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 00:34:44 +0100

THE STORY:

At first, Antioch is more interesting than anything else. He knows sign language and teaches some to you. It often amazes you how well he can understand what you're saying just by looking at your mouth (to which he always responds, ''When you have no other option and a lifetime to do it, you learn to read lips pretty well.'') You think it's pretty cool how you can go somewhere with a ton of noise, where normally you'd have to yell to hear anyone, and you can speak in a whisper and Antioch will understand you - however, as you can't read lips, you give him a thumbs up if you need him to speak louder. After some time, though, his true personality rather than his deafness fascinates you. He always seems optimistic about life, taking whatever comes at him and turning it to something good. You can always come to him whenever you're feeling upset, because somehow, even though he can't hear your words, he can feel them, like they go straight through his skin and into his heart. After several months with him, you're so in love with him you can barely stand it. Whenever you hug, you tell him over his shoulder ''I love you,'' knowing full well he can't hear you, but being too afraid to really let him know. One day, you and Antioch are sitting on your front porch, just enjoying your time together in silence. There is a question you've always wanted to ask him, but didn't know if it would be hurtful or not. You know how understanding he is, so you decide to ask him tonight. ''Hey, Anti--'' you start to say, then realize he's not looking at you and you tap him on the shoulder. He looks at your lips. ''Antioch, I've always wanted to ask you something...it's kind of...I don't know...'' you stammer, wondering if you should say it after all. ''Yes?'' Antioch asks. ''Well...do you ever wish you could...you know...do you ever wonder what everything really sounds like?'' you ask. ''Do you ever wonder what birds sound like, or what music sounds like, or...or what I sound like?'' You know personally that you can't live without music - and Antioch has gone his whole life without experiencing it. Antioch looks into your eyes, pauses, then sighs, ''I wonder about that a lot, actually. A lot of people talk about how life without music is life without air, and if that's the case, I haven't even breathed yet. People try to describe how different instruments sound to me, but it doesn't make sense. They tell me, 'oh, this makes a whining sound' but I don't know what whining sounds like. I don't know what anything sounds like. I wish I could hear what people really sound like. What you really sound like. Actually, most of all, I'd kind of like to know what I sound like.'' You feel absolutely terrible and wish so badly that somehow, even if just for a moment, you could let him hear what the world sounds like. Then he looks at you and smiles. ''But it's not so bad,'' he says. ''I can see things, like how beautiful you are.'' You're startled, then you giggle. He watches your reaction closely. ''I can smell things, like your strawberry hair spray,'' he continues. ''I can feel things, like how warm it is when we hug and everything. And I can taste things, like--...oh, well, never mind on that one.'' He looks away, blushing. Almost laughing, you tap him on the shoulder. He doesn't respond. You smirk and tap him harder. He slightly cocks his head in your direction. Now you gently grab his jaw and turn his face towards you. ''Well, you're already doing without one sense, let's not go without another,'' you say. He stares at your lips long after you get done talking. Slowly you two lean forward until your lips meet in a feathery kiss. When you pull away, Antioch grins. ''You know, just about every sense is needed in a kiss except hearing,'' he says. ''Including smelling?'' you ask. ''I smell mint on your breath,'' he smiles. You lean forward and kiss again, and again, and again. After your short passionate session, you look him square in the eyes and tell him, ''Antioch, I love you.'' ''I love you too,'' he replies, ''And have for a while now.'' ''I have too...actually I've been saying I love you over your shoulder and behind your back for a while,'' you admit. Antioch stares at you, then says, ''That's not very nice. Don't take advantage of the deaf guy.'' You laugh and kiss him again, and that's when you know that someday - you don't know when, but someday - you will marry this young man.

Antioch - The Deaf 1

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 00:33:48 +0100

HOW YOU MET
You never thought you'd ever give a second glance to an emo boy - but something about this one draws you in. He seems calm and nonchalant, unaffected by the noise and crowds. His long black hair covers most of his eyes, but you still see him looking around, as if he's lost something. You decide then and there to take a risk and go talk to him. So you walk up to him and say, ''Hey, could you tell me where Macy's is?'' He completely ignores you and looks away. Immediately you feel embarrassed. Then he turns and looks at you, seemingly surprised that you're there. ''Um...could you tell me where Macy's is?'' you try again, yelling louder above the noise. Already you feel a bit uncomfortable that he's staring at your lips while you talk, but then he smiles and looks into your eyes. ''It's over that way,'' he says, his voice sounding somewhat strange to you. ''I was headed there myself.'' The two of you walk over to Macy's and you feel great about yourself - even if the guy seems a little weird. You turn to him and tell him your name. He doesn't seem to hear you. Then he notices you looking at him and says, ''Did you say something?'' You tell him your name again. ''Oh, mine's Antioch,'' he says. He pauses for a moment, then looks you in the face. You don't understand him. He either ignores you, or he won't stop looking at you. ''I'm sorry if I make you feel weird or anything,'' he says finally, ''I've been completely deaf since birth, so...if you want to ask me something and I'm not looking at you, just tap me on the shoulder.'' You finally understand why he acts the way he does. You start to feel bad for him being deaf, but he looks so cheerful that you realize he doesn't care whether he can hear or not. After talking with him, you learn that he lives in your town, but you've never seen him at school because he's a homeschooler. From that day on, you become best friends.