Blindness

Being blind wasn’t as bad as people said it was, well, maybe to someone who had been able to see for their entire life it probably was bad.
But to Owen it was as normal as anything else; he had been blind from birth after all.

Sure it made some things incredibly hard and frustrating, which was probably why he had such a temper. But despite everything he was still a normal teenager. He still went to school and he still lived his life.

Owen’s quick temper had started at a young age, for him it primarily stemmed from the fact that people seemed to think that just because he was blind he couldn’t do anything.
People spoke to him as if he were an idiot, softly and gently, not like he was a child but like he were an animal that needed to be baby talked to calmed down.

His family knew that but they also knew Owen was probably one of the most easily scared and paranoid people ever. While he could find his way around his own home and school easily, places outside were quite the bit harder, he still felt horrible fear when left alone, or when he thought he was left alone.

With all that in mind it was quite easy to see why Owen wasn’t the most keen person to want to go out with friends, even thought they promised they wouldn’t let go of his arm when they were out.
But he trusted them, trusted them enough at least.

So he went with them and they kept their promise, someone always had some sort of grip on him, letting him know were to go and if there was anything to watch out for.
But all good things must come to an end and when his friend was knocked away from him and Owen dragged away into a crowed that horrible fear started to return.

While he would never admit it and call for help he began to shake and feel horribly scared, blind eyes darting around as if he would be able to see his friends.
As if he’d be able to find them on hearing alone he began to move, walking with shaky and cautious steps. He was fine, until he bumped into someone.

His immediate reaction was to grab onto something, which was the person’s shirt, to stop himself falling. But all he did was pull them down with him.
“H-hey! Watch were you’re going!”

((Eyyy, Just jump in, friend!))

Owen’s blind eyes were wide, he could hear, feel and smell her she was so close, too close. He didn’t like this; he refused to accept the fact that he was shaking slightly, but that could easily be passed off as something that came from the fall.
She spoke, so she was defiantly a she, not that it really mattered. Owen’s grip on her shirt fell, but his arms didn’t fall back to his side, instead they took up a ore defensive position near his chest.

“Wh-what am I doing?! What’re you doing?!” Owen’s voice barely shook, but the anger was defiantly clear, even though it was really his fault. The poor blind boy didn’t raise his head, blind eyes still staring upwards. Why bother raising his head? He just wanted her off; he didn’t care how close she was!

“Y-you ran into me!” His voice sounded more like a squeak as he tired to figure everything out in his head. His friends were nowhere to be found and he was stuck near some girl he didn’t know and he didn’t know this places layout at all.
Despite his real feelings of fear Owen’s face looked more angry then it should have, despite his slightly shaking hands.

(Haha)

Owen glared upwards, his hands slowly stopped their shaking but he could still feel the trickles of fear in his body. He was still lost, he was still alone and he was still stuck with someone he didn't know.
Feeling her move Owen let his hands reach out, moving around, trying to feel if she was close or not. Slowly, shakily almost, he began to sit up, eyes staring straight. His hands moved all around him before he even attempted to stand.

Quickly feeling the ground by his feet he stood, his full height stumped by his slouch. Slowly moving his arms around to try and feel if she was still close by he flinched when his hand tapped her arm.
“So you are still here…” he grumbles, head tilted towards the floor. Shuffling backwards, knowing he had to be a bit too close if he could touch her, he raised his head. It was like he was looking for his friends but he was simply hoping one of them saw him.
That horrible fear was coming back quickly.

“W-watch where you're going next time.” He glared forward.

Owen could feel his hands shaking and he inwardly cursed himself, he wasn't scared, he wasn't scared. But no matter how many times he told himself that the horrible creeping feeling of being abandoned kept coming back. He was scared and he was shaking, he didn't know where he was or who he was with.
His temper was blaring, she was part of the reason he was stuck in this mess, but he didn't know her and he couldn't trust her. He was angry and terrified of this single being, like he was with near everyone.

Practically jumping when she spoke Owen immediately turned his head to where her voice had come from, blind eyes staring a bit to her left, he was facing her but not quite looking at her. He was tense and looked ready to bolt if things went south, not that he'd know where he was going if he did.
“If you don't care then why ask?” Owens question was cautious and slow, eyes narrowed. “I'm fine.” He eventually relented, his voice quiet and his tense stature breaking junto small shakes.

He didn't like this, he didn't like is at all, no thank you. He wanted to go home, he wanted someone here, a friend, anything. Just something familiar and comforting. Anyone.

((Concert sounds good with me.))

She hadn't left, why hadn’t she left, why wouldn't she leave so there wouldn't be anyone watching him. He didn't like the thought of her eyes looking at him, seeing him shaking and seeing the tense fear he felt.
She hadn't left, he never heard her footsteps, she was standing there. Was she trying to mock him? Was she trying to prove that just because he was blind he wouldn't be able to tell she was there.

Hearing her speak again he practically prickled, like an angry cat. “Just what!? Want to stand there knowing I can't do anything to someone like you!?” Owen spat the words at her, his tense body now favoring the shakes instead. What did she want!? “Just want to watch me because you know I can't watch you? Because you know I'd never be able to identify you again if you just shut your mouth?”
He was scared, it was showing, his voice was shaky as was his body.
Owen was terrified.

Shaking his head the blind male fell quite, sure he could continue he argument and scream at her until his voice was as useful as his eyes. But… He was just too tired and scared, he just wanted to curl up and cry. Just disappear somewhere else, home, with his friends anywhere but here.
“You said the concerts starting soon.” He eventually spoke up, voice quiet and head down. “Then you best get going, no point staying here or there’ll be no place left for you…” He muttered, but it was loud enough for her to hear.

He wasn't going to leave this spot, if he did then his friends would likely never find him. Staying put was probably the best course of action, moving just made him a harder target to find.
“Just go, it's weird being able to feel you in front of me but not hear you.” Owen told her, his eyes drifting all over the place as if it'd make a difference. “I need to wait for my friends to find me.” He huffed.

Owen was fully prepared to stay right there and not move unless forced to, but while that was what he was prepared to do it wasn't what he wanted. He was an angry prideful teenager who didn't like taking pity from others.
But in a situation like this he wasn't sure he wanted to put his pride before anything else.

At her offer he glared in her direction, probably not directly at her but in her area he'd hoped. “I-“ he'd cut himself off, it was obvious by his tone and the expression he held that the words were not going to be kind.
But he seemed to soften, break off again into the more scared person he was. With a shaky sigh he spoke once more. “Please…” It was nearly a whisper. “Please don't leave me alone…”

Owen’s head tilted slightly at her quite response, he almost missed it. He was glad his hearing was good, at least he got that much from being blind. Maybe he was just a bitter person when it came to his own blindness.
“Thank you…” He gave her a small nod, he wasn't ever one for thanks beyond the simple terms. He was emotionally tired, he could stand there for hours if needed but his head and heart just wanted to stop and calm down for a moment.

At her proposition of sitting down he shook his head. “I thought you wanted to go to the concert? My friends are probably looking for me I'm there, plus, I'm sure you didn't come alone, right?” He suggested. “Probably better then standing here with idle chat, unless you want to stay here… I don't mind.”
He was defiantly trying to be friendly, trying to not the bitterness or fear seep into his words.

Owen nodded, not that the description of small really helped him, but he appreciated her help, no matter how he acted. “Hopefully, they usually find me pretty quick if I go missing.” Owen’s words came out in more of a huff then anything, the only times they'd ever lost him were places he'd known the layout of, so nothing like this.
When she spoke again he nodded. “Yeah, let's go.” Reaching a hand out he aimlessly grabbed around until he grabbed her arm, he needed something to tell where she was and so he wasn't walking around with no direction.

If she made a face he couldn't tell, but his blank stare forward seemed to portray his emotions well enough. “I'm kinda sorta completely blind, I'd much rather not walk around with nothing to hold onto, I'm not falling over again.” His words were bitter.
With a sigh he shook his head, “let's just go.”

Feeling her pulling forward the blind male moved forward with her, his steps a normal pace, though he could tell she was having some sort of struggle. The pace she was walking was very odd, small bursts of speed only to slow down again.
"We just have to walk normally," he told her, a small smile of amusement on his face, "I'm blind, not a child. I simply need you to guide me, so don't worry about the pace."

The sounds around them were pretty easy for him to hear, the cars that passed them were loud enough, showing they were far but not too far away. And the sounds of people inside reached him quite early, they were incredibly loud.
"Are things like this really scream worthy?" He questioned, mostly to himself then her.
When they entered the performance space Owen's eyes went wide. The sound was incredibly loud, and it was just people, not even music yet. "It's... So loud..."