Never before had I hated my ability so much. When I was six, I fell out of a tree and injured my eyes, blinding me permanently. Somehow, losing my sight enhanced my hearing. I was able to hear every tiny murmur, every footstep of tiny insects. As well as making me hyper-aware of my surroundings, it also made me a god at marco polo.

But walking through the imposing doors of high school with my best friend Nate, I wished I could hear just like everyone else.

“What a weirdo!” They muttered.

“Eugh, look at his creepy eyes!”

“He probably has to take ‘special classes’.”

I slumped, feeling like a spotlight was shining on me as I walked down.

Nate noticed my uncomfortableness.

“Callum, are you okay?” He asked.

I shook my head. “I don’t like this place.”

Nate nudged me compassionately, and I was comforted for a moment. Only a moment.

“Jeez, Callum is such a wuss!” Nate muttered from beside me.

That hurt, coming from my ‘best friend’. I mumbled something about going to my locker and then dashed away from Nate.

The day didn’t get better from the morning. When my homegroup teacher introduced me to the class, all I heard was nasty comments and rude jokes. In maths, the noise of the students was almost deafening with my attuned hearing. Lunch was horrible, because there was no noise at all. As soon as I walked in, the room went silent. It was even worse than whispers.

That was my routine for the next week. I hated high school.

“Don’t be such a wuss, Callum,” I said to myself, sitting alone at lunch. “This is just how it is now.”

I heard someone plonk themselves down next to me, and heard a female voice.

“Sorry to interrupt your monologue, but I was wondering if I could sit here? I’m new. ”

I nodded, surprised anyone WANTED to sit with me. The girl and I sat in silence for a moment, until she started speaking again.

“So, these students are pretty rude, don’t you think?”

“Yeah,” I replied. “But... were they rude to you? Why?”

“Uh huh! On my first day, they were calling me names as I walked down the halls. Not nice!”

“Not nice,” I agreed. “But it’s easy to see why I’d get teased-“ I gesture to my unfocused eyes, “but why you?”

The girl laughs, and grabs my hand. She leads it to her right elbow, where I feel... nothing. She is missing her forearm.

“You couldn’t see it! It was so bizarre to talk to someone who doesn’t just focus on THIS!” She waved her arm about, and I smiled. I raised my juice box to the air, grinning.

“To seeing people as people,” I said.

“To seeing people as people!” She repeats.