Because I love you all for your comments and reads and votes and you all are so awesome, I'm uploading this RIGHT NOW. BOOM. POW!

Also, if you are interested in tagging me in any of your awesome word pictures on IG my IG name is @awkwardturtle92 and if ya'll are on Twitter, come check me out at @TheMusicGirl18! :)

Thank you for your support and make sure to comment and vote - it really encourages this girl...right here. the one typing. holla! *ahem*

Anywaaaaaays...

Read on, you awesome people.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

Everett's eyes widened and he stood up, backing away from the piano. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! No. No. Just...no. I can't.”

He walked towards the kitchen, Lizzie following him closely. “I mean, how am I supposed to traverse the Big Apple when I seem to be missing a vital tool of navigation?” he asked, leaning against the counter and folding his arms across his chest, waiting for her answer.

She came up and stood beside him, her arm linking with his. “Well, that's why I would be there. Do you really think I'm gonna let something happen to you?” she tells him. “Come on, Everett! You need to get out of this house and experience the world. I promise I won't ditch you in the middle of the city.”

Everett looked thoughtful. It seemed like he was actually considering it. “But...” he hesitated. “What are people gonna think when they see you dragging me everywhere? I mean...” He let his eyes fall down, his arms still crossed.

She dared to speak out again. She knew what happened last time, but she still didn't have the desire for him to never leave this house. She wanted him to get out and get some fresh air. “I know why you stay here. You're afraid. And with every right to be. You're afraid that people will judge you based on what you can and can't do. You think the only thing they will focus on is that you can't see. And you're right. That's something that they will heavily focus on. But that's why people like them never find a place in our lives. Sure, the pathways cross briefly, but they never become entwined. Those people don't matter, Everett. The main objective in life is to find people who see you the way you see them.”

He made a face, his concentration level going through the roof. Finally he sighed and pushed away from the counter. “I'll go get my shoes,” he confirmed, walking down the hall.

Lizzie smiled widely and jumped up and down. “Yes!” she whispered to herself. “You might want a jacket, too. It's kinda cold out,” she called out to him. She smiled widely; this was going to be great.

“Mom, I'm gonna go out with Lizzie. I'll be back later,” she heard Everett call out to his mother.

Denise poked her head out of Cole's room to look at him. “Really?” he nodded. “Oh, well ... okay, be careful ... ” she said carefully.

Lizzie realized that this was going to be the first time Everett left without either her or Jesse by his side. She didn't consider how nervous it would make Denise to have Everett going off alone. She knew Denise trusted her; they had become quite close recently and all the dinners and hanging out helped her case.

“Don't worry, Mrs. North,” she told her, sending a smile. “I won't let him out of my sight.”

Everett audibly groaned, mumbling something under his breath about not needing a babysitter. Lizzie just grinned as the two exited the home.

“Okay, so now what genius?” Everett asked, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his coat. “Jesse told me you don't have a car. How are we supposed to get to New York City?”

"Ah, but I don't need a car. That is why some genius invented, the taxi.”

* * * * *

Not 30 minutes later, Lizzie and Everett exited their cab close to the empire state building, sending a smile and a wave to the driver as he left. This is what living on the New Jersey/NYC border did. Lizzie loved being so close to all the action and excitement, the world at her fingertips.

Huffing out a breath of air, Lizzie planned out the next move and let Everett get used to all the noise in the city. After all, for a guy who spent most of his life in a quiet nneighborhood in front of piano, this could be a bit overwhelming.
“Is this an intelligent idea?” Everett's worried voice came from behind her. “I mean, from what I understand, it's really tall ... and I can't see the edge.”

Lizzie lolled her head around to look at him and grabbed him by the shoulders. “Everett, do you seriously think that I'm going to let you walk off a balcony? Moreover, do you really think that there are no railings on the balcony?” she grabbed his arm and began pulling him along behind him. She watched as he took in the many sounds of the city around them, his eyes a bit wide. Their small town didn't have all these sounds. Horns honked, people chattered and music seemed to seep from every shop they passed. It had to have been a lot for him to take in.

They came to the entrance of the empire state building and stood in line for the elevator. There were quite a few people in line already and she led him to the very back. “Looks like we'll be waiting for a few minutes,” she told him, letting out a sigh of contentment. “There's a wall right behind you if you wanna lean against it,” she offered, making sure that he had all his options known to him.

Everett nodded and did indeed lean against the wall, crossing his arms and one foot over the other. The two stood in comfortable silence as they waited.

It had to have been another 30 minutes before they were in the elevator headed towards the top. As the doors opened, the people flooded the top floor, dumping them into the observatory. She grabbed his hand and pulled him along, waiting for the  outside viewing area to empty out before she took him out. A burst of cold and strong wind blasted them both in the face, stealing their breath.

“Whoa!” Everett blurted out, reaching his hand out for a wall of some sort.

Lizzie and he slid down the side of the wall, staring out. She couldn't believe the sight before her eyes. It was absolutely incredible. She felt guilty that the boy next to her couldn't see it. What had she been thinking? Bringing him here? Was that heartless of her? Or would it be a memory he would hold onto, even though he couldn't see it for himself?

She stayed silent for a moment, just thinking as she took it all in. In a way, she had hoped that being here would bring a surmountable size of inspiration. But, she found that she was still lacking. She wished she could see the entire thing from a different perspective; through someone else's eyes. Biting her lip, Lizzie scooted a little closer to Everett. “What do you see?” she asked him seriously, staring out at the skyline.

Everett scoffed. “We have met before, right?”

She whapped him on the arm. “I'm serious, Everett. In your minds eyes, what do you see when you think of where we are right now?” she genuinely inquired.

Everett hesitated momentarily, apparently pulling his thoughts together best as he could before saying anything. “Well ... I've painted this picture in my head ... and, even though it's the middle of the day, I still can't see anything but this,” she waited patiently for the next several minutes for his thoughts to fully pan out. He shifted and crossed his legs. “Okay, it's like this ... I imagine skyscrapers, everywhere. Varying heights, but all towering. The ocean shines like stars or diamonds in the background. In all the windows, there's the reflection of the setting sun, painting the sides of the building a burnt orange.”

A very small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth and he swallows, continuing, “Above the ocean, the sky is splattered with streaks of light pink and purple, a tint of orange from the sun. It shimmers on the ocean, the Statue of Liberty standing in the distance, but perfectly in view.” he slightly chuckled, shaking his head. “I'm almost afraid to ever get my sight back,” he admitted to her in a soft voice. “The world can't be as perfect and beautiful as I imagine it to be. I'll just be disappointed...”

“I don't think you give the world enough credit,” Lizzie replied, letting her head rest on his shoulder.

“What do you see?” he asked in return. “You asked for what I see. I want to hear it from your viewpoint. Describe it to me,” Everett scooted closer and snuggled down into her, she assumed for warmth.

“Well, it's very similar to what you described, actually. Only right now, there's no sun. It's cloudy overhead, so the reflections are pale. But the ocean is still, like crystal, and on the other side of the horizon, you can see the sun beginning to drop down. Not setting, but it's dropping. It's like a black and white version of what you described. Although, I wish I was looking at your view instead.”

She listened to his chuckle, and snapped her head to look at him. For the first time, Lizzie saw a smile on Everett's face. A genuine, true smile. It wasn't huge, like cheek breaking; it was more like a smirk or a grin. But it was there and she had been the one to put it there. That brought her great joy.

He poked her in the arm after a few seconds. “What? No victory cheer? I thought you were going to go all out on the happiness, remember?” he playfully taunted, nudging her with his shoulder.

She giggled, something she mentally smacked herself for, and shook her head. “You know, now that the moment is here, I don't think I want to besmirch it with stupidity.”

They both shared a quiet moment with both smiling. It seemed to Lizzie that it was actually a good idea to come here after all. Slapping a hand on his knee, she sighed. “I just realized we've been sitting up here for like, 40 minutes. We should get back down, maybe grab a snack. Besides, it's freezing.”

Everett readily agreed and allowed her to help him up and lead him back to the elevators.

Once on the main level and out of the building, Lizzie linked arms with Everett and began looking for a place to grab a snack. “Okay, I don't see anything here, so let's walk a little,” she told him as they started walking. The two carried on casual and easy conversation, the topics jumping all over the place. Lizzie kept an eye out for vendors and, to her surprise, they ended up by Central Park in a matter of only 15 minutes worth of walking.

“You dig pretzels?” she asked Everett as a pretzel vendor came into view. The area was still pretty heavily populated and there was a good size line, but who could resist a warm, salted pretzel?

 Everett nodded his approval at the suggestion. “Yeah, as long as there's cheese involved.”

With a roll of the eyes and a smile, Lizzie looked around for a place to perch Everett while she got the snacks, her eyes landing on a bench 15 feet back. “Okay, I'm gonna go grab it  and you...” she led him back and finished, “Sit here. I'll bring them back and we can take a break from walking.”

“Sounds good.”

After making sure he was situated and not going anywhere, Lizzie walked over to the small pretzel vendor, claiming her place in line. Reminding herself to make sure she got extra salt on her own, she ogled the space around her. She herself hadn't ever spent too much time in New York City.

She lived close-by her entire life, but the opportunity just never came up. She never had a good enough reason. She was thankful that Everett was that good enough reason. She knew he was having a good time. The boy, for the first time since she had known him, smiled as they sat atop the empire state building.

As she sat there, describing the scene and letting his imagination take hold of it, it warmed her heart knowing that she had been the one to bring such joy to him. Her turn in line came and she stepped up, smiling to the scruffy man. “Two salted pretzels, one with extra salt and one with cheese, please,” she asked, handing him the required amount of money for the purchase.

He handed her the two pretzels and with a thank you, she turned and walked back to where she had left Everett. Weaving through the crowds and taking a bite of her own snack, she searched for the bench. When she found it, she had to do a double take. This was the bench she left him on, right? Her heart began pounding, filling her ears with the uncontrollable drumming. That was indeed the bench.

But where was Everett?

* * * * * * * * * *

Well, this is awkward...

VOTE. COMMENT. SHARE. ADD TO YOUR READING LISTS!!