Show Mode by Raquel Rivera

Author:Raquel Rivera
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781459812062
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Published: 2017-01-31T16:00:00+00:00

Twelve

“The curb’s coming up,” I tell Sandra, who’s holding on to the crook of my arm. She’s wearing the in-flight sleep mask our drama teacher handed out. All the assigned “blind” people get one. As Sandra’s assigned helper, I’m supposed to guide her through the streets. Back in class, we’ll all share our experiences. This is what our teacher calls partner work.

We’re getting funny looks. But in this neighborhood, people should be used to this kind of thing. Last week the engineering students at the university paraded in pink hard hats, shouting their heads off.

“Ow—crud!” Sandra stumbles up the curb. We’ve just started, but already she is puffing like an angry dragon. Well, okay, the puffs billowing from her mouth are on account of the cold air. I must look dragon-like too. She peeks from under the sleep mask to see the ground.

“Put it back.” I sound like I’m talking to my kindergarten reading partner.

Sandra huffs. “This is stupid. Nobody’s here to make us do this, Adina. How about dropping the turbo mode? I vote we blow this off.”

I sigh. At least I got her halfway up the hill. “How about we switch? I’ll wear the blindfold.” We have to keep moving anyway, because it’s freezing out here. We may as well do the drama exercise.

Sandra joyfully rips off the flight mask and shoves it on my head. Everything goes dark. Suddenly I notice the sounds and smells of traffic chugging by. I feel someone squeezing past us on the narrow sidewalk.

“Okay, I’ll lead—but we’re getting fries!” she says.

Fries are a good idea. Our teacher never said we couldn’t snack. Sandra grabs my arm and starts pulling me downhill and around the corner. She must be headed for the souvlaki place. They serve a massive cone of fries for only two dollars.

“Watch out!” I’m screaming at the same time as I’m laughing. Her mad dash is making me trip all over myself.

“C’mon, just take the stupid thing off—I’m cold and hungry!” She jerks at my hand and my feet tumble forward. They catch on something, and I go down.

It’s as if volts of electricity are shooting through my wrists and knees. For a second I’m on all fours, then I tip over, like a tree. “Ooh…”

People are around me, murmuring, helping me up. I flex one wrist, then the other. Feeling like I’m stuck in slow motion, I push the sleep mask onto my forehead. Then I’m really blinded, the sun is so bright.

“It’s partner work,” I hear Sandra explaining.

“I’m all right,” I assure everyone, blinking as they come into focus. I rub my knees. Sandra holds the door open as I limp into the restaurant. She helps me find a place at a table near the cash register, then gets in the queue to order fries. I pull up my jeans to examine my bruised kneecaps.

“You okay?” Sandra calls. The line creeps forward. She moves forward with it. Now that she’s in speaking range, she says, “You should’ve ditched the mask when I said.

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