And here's the short excerpt: On Kurt’s first day of fourth grade, he wore sunglasses. When Burt found out that Kurt was being bullied at his school, he promised to let him transfer at the start of the new school year, so he was starting over. If he wore the sunglasses, nobody would see the blank look in his eyes or the fact that he was never looking directly at them. He could pretend, at least for a little while, that he was normal. At least, that’s what he thought. Until a teacher who didn’t know his situation told him that sunglasses weren’t allowed at school-why? No one knows-and she told him that he had to pick them up at the office after school. However, when she saw his eyes and the way he started to panic, she quickly realized her mistake. “Oh, honey,” she sighed, kneeling down in front of him. “I’m afraid that sunglasses aren’t allowed at school, but you can pick them up after school, I promise. How about you come with me to the office and then we can find your teacher?” Kurt shook his head quickly. He didn’t want to go with her. He hated the feeling of being talked down to like he was completely helpless. He just wanted to find his class. She sighed again. “Okay. Do you want to wait here, then? I’ll be right back.” Kurt nodded and he could picture her sympathetic smile as she stood and walked towards the office. He felt panic building in his chest as she took his glasses, leaving him there in the hallway with no one else around. She’d said she’d be right back, but he didn’t want to go with her when she came back. Now he was lost in the hallway with no idea where to go. He’d stayed in the classroom for part of gym class to finish a worksheet-he was still struggling to learn Braille, so it took him a little longer-so he was just trying to find the gym since his teacher said he could join the others once he finished. Now he had no idea where he was. Breathing shallowly and fighting tears, he slowly took a few steps forward, keeping his hands out in front of him. When his hands touched a brick wall, he clung to it and decided to stay there until someone came to help him. He guessed he was far enough from his previous spot that the woman who took his sunglasses wouldn’t find him when she returned, so he breathed a soft sigh of relief. He wanted someone nice to find him. His teacher wouldn’t have taken his sunglasses… “Hey, what are you doing out here?” someone asked, and he flinched at the sudden interruption of silence. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. Why are you just standing there?” “I… I got lost,” Kurt said, tears springing to his eyes. “Please don’t get me in trouble…” “I won’t, I promise,” the girl said. “My name is Mercedes. What’s yours?” “Kurt,” he said, trembling as he tried to turn towards the sound of her voice. “Hi, Kurt. So, where were you trying to go?” “The gym,” he answered, trying to calm his breathing. Maybe this girl could help him. Or maybe she could find his teacher. His teacher was really nice. “My class is there.” “Oh, that’s no problem,” the girl said cheerfully. “It’s just down that hallway and to the right and just keep going until you find the double doors. My class is there, too, but I was just going to the office on an errand for the P.E. teacher. Oh! We must be in the same class. You’re new, right? I guess I didn’t notice earlier because I usually focus too much on the worksheets. It’s nice to meet you, though.” Kurt put his hands up to his hair, shutting his eyes tightly and feeling overwhelmed. He couldn’t tell where she’d told him to go and he didn’t want to answer her questions. “I… I can’t… I don’t know… I don’t… M-My eyes a-and…” He could feel her stepping closer and he tensed up, turning his body away defensively. “You can’t see,” she deduced. Her voice was gentle, not unkind, and Kurt relaxed a little. She’s not like those other kids. “Come on, I’ll take you there, okay? Grab my arm.” Hesitantly, he looped his arm through hers and let her lead him down the hallway until they reached the gym. “Thank you,” he said softly, offering a slight smile.
On Kurt’s first day of fourth grade, he wore sunglasses. When Burt found out that Kurt was being bullied at his school, he promised to let him transfer at the start of the new school year, so he was starting over. If he wore the sunglasses, nobody would see the blank look in his eyes or the fact that he was never looking directly at them. He could pretend, at least for a little while, that he was normal.
At least, that’s what he thought. Until a teacher who didn’t know his situation told him that sunglasses weren’t allowed at school-why? No one knows-and she told him that he had to pick them up at the office after school. However, when she saw his eyes and the way he started to panic, she quickly realized her mistake. “Oh, honey,” she sighed, kneeling down in front of him. “I’m afraid that sunglasses aren’t allowed at school, but you can pick them up after school, I promise. How about you come with me to the office and then we can find your teacher?”
Kurt shook his head quickly. He didn’t want to go with her. He hated the feeling of being talked down to like he was completely helpless. He just wanted to find his class.
She sighed again. “Okay. Do you want to wait here, then? I’ll be right back.” Kurt nodded and he could picture her sympathetic smile as she stood and walked towards the office.
He felt panic building in his chest as she took his glasses, leaving him there in the hallway with no one else around. She’d said she’d be right back, but he didn’t want to go with her when she came back. Now he was lost in the hallway with no idea where to go. He’d stayed in the classroom for part of gym class to finish a worksheet-he was still struggling to learn Braille, so it took him a little longer-so he was just trying to find the gym since his teacher said he could join the others once he finished. Now he had no idea where he was. Breathing shallowly and fighting tears, he slowly took a few steps forward, keeping his hands out in front of him. When his hands touched a brick wall, he clung to it and decided to stay there until someone came to help him. He guessed he was far enough from his previous spot that the woman who took his sunglasses wouldn’t find him when she returned, so he breathed a soft sigh of relief. He wanted someone nice to find him. His teacher wouldn’t have taken his sunglasses…
“Hey, what are you doing out here?” someone asked, and he flinched at the sudden interruption of silence. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. Why are you just standing there?”
“I… I got lost,” Kurt said, tears springing to his eyes. “Please don’t get me in trouble…”
“I won’t, I promise,” the girl said. “My name is Mercedes. What’s yours?”
“Kurt,” he said, trembling as he tried to turn towards the sound of her voice.
“Hi, Kurt. So, where were you trying to go?”
“The gym,” he answered, trying to calm his breathing. Maybe this girl could help him. Or maybe she could find his teacher. His teacher was really nice. “My class is there.”
“Oh, that’s no problem,” the girl said cheerfully. “It’s just down that hallway and to the right and just keep going until you find the double doors. My class is there, too, but I was just going to the office on an errand for the P.E. teacher. Oh! We must be in the same class. You’re new, right? I guess I didn’t notice earlier because I usually focus too much on the worksheets. It’s nice to meet you, though.”
Kurt put his hands up to his hair, shutting his eyes tightly and feeling overwhelmed. He couldn’t tell where she’d told him to go and he didn’t want to answer her questions. “I… I can’t… I don’t know… I don’t… M-My eyes a-and…”
He could feel her stepping closer and he tensed up, turning his body away defensively. “You can’t see,” she deduced. Her voice was gentle, not unkind, and Kurt relaxed a little. She’s not like those other kids. “Come on, I’ll take you there, okay? Grab my arm.”
Hesitantly, he looped his arm through hers and let her lead him down the hallway until they reached the gym. “Thank you,” he said softly, offering a slight smile.
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