"You know, if you were anymore talkative I would have to tell you to shut up." Summer announced before sitting next to Zac on the steps of the back porch.
Dinner was over, and everyone was now out and doing their own thing again.
Zac smiled slightly, but kept his gaze focused on the piece of grass he was rubbing between his fingers.
Summer pushed her shoulder into his. "Okay, I'm beginning to think it's me that's making you like this."
Silence. "It's not you." Zac said softly. "I'm just thinking a lot."
"Whatcha thinkin' 'bout then?" She questioned, laying her head on his shoulder.
He sighed, "I have a new student." Zac stated almost with contempt.
Summer sat up and looked over at him, "Okay, what's wrong with that?" She questioned curiously. "You love teaching there, and you always get new students."
His shoulders sagged with some unseen weight. "I know." He answered tightly. "But this new student is different."
Her eyebrow quirked in question.
"She's blind from a drunk driving accident!" He announced hotly. "Geez." Zac said as his hand ran through his already disheveled hair.
Summer grinned; glad she finally got him to spill it. "So?" She asked shrugging. "That's not so unbelievable is it?"
Zac shook his head. "That's not it."
His puzzled speaking was confusing Summer even more. "Okay, you're just going to have to explain some more then, or I am just so not going to understand this." She said dryly shaking her head.
He gave a wry smile, "Sorry about that."
She shrugged again, "No problem. Just explain already!"
Zac laughed lightly, "Okay." He agreed, then took a deep breath.
"Out loud." Summer said grinning.
He gave her a look, "Her name's Mechelle. She got in a drunk driving accident a while back. That's why she's at Seymour now."
Summer nodded, "Figured that much out on my own. Now I wanna know more."
His head hung low again, "She's younger than us, and she was the one that was driving drunk."
She drew in a sharp breath, gasping at the shock of his words. "Whoa." She said softly.
Zac's head bobbed up and down carefully, "Yeah."
"Has she said anything about it?" She asked a few minutes later.
He shook his head 'no.' "Nope, just got her today. Jakob read off her profile to me after class."
Summer thought for a second, "What does he say about it?"
"Jakob just basically said that since we don't know the whole facts we can't really jump to conclusions or figure it out on our own." He said calmly.
"Well, you should listen to him." She said matter-of-factly. "Because he is right, you know?"
Zac looked away, "I know." He admitted quietly. "I just… I don't know. It just don't feel right, you know?"
Summer slowly began to nod. "I think I do." She whispered before standing up. "I need to get home, Zac." She explained cautiously. "But I really think you should talk this out with either Mechelle or Jakob. Jakob, because he'll understand better and give better advice. And Mechelle, because she'd know."
He let out a long and tired breath. "I'll talk to you later, ok?" He asked.
"Yeah."
Zac turned and looked up at her, giving a weak and shaky smile. "You listen and give good advice too." He confessed.
She smiled down at him. "It's good to know that. Next time I'll come to myself with a problem."
She left him laughing, hoping and knowing that he'd get over this.
