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Description
Love's Blind ~ <3

Silence was golden and highly prized at the café were the timid barrister Toby Shields worked. It was a place for him and relax, but above all a place where he could be alone. But not today. As he leaned against the counter daydreaming, the front door of the café was wrenched off its hinges and loudly creaked in protest; its rustic bells jingling in fright. Sky blue eyes blinked open to glimpse a crying teenager slump in the back corner of the café. Toby leaned over the counter to check if she was alright, but he frowned at what he saw. He already guessed what had happened to her before asking, he'd seen that look on his own face often enough. Lifting part of the oak counter up he walked across the chocolate coloured spacious room to the fireplace where the girl hid. Toby crouched down to her level and smiled grimly.

"By the looks of things this wasn't your best day ever," he said softly.
She looked up at him with dismal eyes,
"What would you know about it freak?!"
Toby sighed and sat opposite her,
"Try me, arrogant little brat. I'm only trying to help."
Slowly, for effect, he stood up slowly and began to shuffle back to his counter.
"Wait!" She yelped, "Please don't go…"
Toby smiled,
"Only if you'll listen to what I have to say."
"Alright, just please don't go. I really need to talk to someone."
She murmured as Toby sat next to her again.
"I'm Ellie and you are?"
"Toby Shields, I work here. Now make yourself comfortable my story will take a while…"

                                                                 ***********

"Growing up around 'normals' wasn't exactly my cup of tea, I hated them. They were all villainous, foul-mouthed entities that had no concept of hardship in this life. Each day of school for me beheld new horrors of abuse and punishment for the sake of being 'different'. No one dared speak to me for the fear of being bullied too. But there's an exception to every rule. During the first term of Year 9 I met a new rebellious brunette. Her name was Vaan Ridgeway, and she hated bullies.

The friendship I found in her changed me over those 4 years that I knew her. We were like peas in a pod, inseparable… I could confide all my years of solitude in her and vice versa. Once winter had come around we'd visit the frozen pond to play hockey and talk. For some time now, I had a secret that I needed to tell Vaan and it was eating me from the inside. Almost like my stomach was like a jar of fireflies. When we were at the pond one afternoon I called Vaan over to my side.

"Vaan, do you think I have any chance of getting together with Genny?"
Vaan smiled at me,
"Genevieve Harrison? Of course you do. Wait… I sense a crush alert."
Immediately my face flushed a bright crimson. She always knew how to embarrass me.
"M…maybe," I stuttered.
It was then that Vaan suddenly stopped skating and her face paled. I didn't know what was wrong with her. Had she thought of something bad? It surely couldn't be Genevieve, she flirts with me… but Vaan still stood there dumbstruck.
"Vaan, are you okay? You don't look well," I inquired.
"I'm fine," she snapped angrily. "Just remembered there's an assignment due tomorrow. See ya later Tob."
Then she skated off and ran home.
"What did I say?"
I murmured as a tear fell down my cheek. I gathered my stuff and went home.

We didn't talk to each other for days. I kinda started to miss Vaan's company, but then again, Genevieve kinda filled her shoes. Gen and I met at the park every second afternoon, after school was out. One day I finally got a text from Vaan that said, "Beware of Gen. She's not who you think she is… <3." I ignored it. Genevieve cared, unlike Vaan.

I had no clue that Vaan had wanted to talk for days, but I never went over. Besides, this afternoon I was meeting Genevieve and Matt at the park. When I got there I realised what Vaan was trying to tell me. There under the largest tree in the park stood Matt and Genevieve in a passionate embrace… kissing… I just stood there feeling helpless. The world just dissolved into nothingness, nothing mattered any more, but then I heard a rhythmic thump of someone running and standing in front of me. It was Vaan.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I choked.
She slipped into my embrace as she held me close and let my tears fall into silence.
"I didn't want to be the one to place the dagger in your heart…"


                                                                  ***********

Tears rolled down his cheek as he finished his story.
"Vaan meant well, if she had told me I wouldn't have believed her anyway. Love is blind…"
Ellie stared at Toby in disbelief. Was she really like Genevieve?
"Why did Genevieve kiss Matt instead?"
She asked quietly.
Toby smiled dismally.
"Because of this."
He lifted a bang of jet black hair from the right side of his face to show Ellie that he had no right eye. Just scar.
"Car accident when I was four."
Carefully he brushed his hair over the mass of scars again.
"I was too different for anyone. She flirted with me for a laugh. My affections were just a tool for her to manipulate."
Standing up Toby stretched and walked over to his post behind to the counter. Ellie followed him meekly and sat on a bar stool in front of him.
"For your sake Ellie, don't be like Genevieve. Give honest men an honest chance."
Ellie looked at him curiously,
"How did you know I was a flirt?"
Toby tied his apron around his hips again and brushed the creases out.
"Because one out of two guys you flirt with come and complain to me about you and your naïve, embarrassing public stunts for attention. You're infamous."
He winked at her as she blushed in humiliation.
"Coffee?"
She scoffed at him and stormed out of the café. Sighing in immense relief he leaned against his counter again and smiled.
"That story works every time."

Description
Love's Blind ~ <3

Silence was golden and highly prized at the café were the timid barrister Toby Shields worked. It was a place for him and relax, but above all a place where he could be alone. But not today. As he leaned against the counter daydreaming, the front door of the café was wrenched off its hinges and loudly creaked in protest; its rustic bells jingling in fright. Sky blue eyes blinked open to glimpse a crying teenager slump in the back corner of the café. Toby leaned over the counter to check if she was alright, but he frowned at what he saw. He already guessed what had happened to her before asking, he'd seen that look on his own face often enough. Lifting part of the oak counter up he walked across the chocolate coloured spacious room to the fireplace where the girl hid. Toby crouched down to her level and smiled grimly.

"By the looks of things this wasn't your best day ever," he said softly.
She looked up at him with dismal eyes,
"What would you know about it freak?!"
Toby sighed and sat opposite her,
"Try me, arrogant little brat. I'm only trying to help."
Slowly, for effect, he stood up slowly and began to shuffle back to his counter.
"Wait!" She yelped, "Please don't go…"
Toby smiled,
"Only if you'll listen to what I have to say."
"Alright, just please don't go. I really need to talk to someone."
She murmured as Toby sat next to her again.
"I'm Ellie and you are?"
"Toby Shields, I work here. Now make yourself comfortable my story will take a while…"

                                                                 ***********

"Growing up around 'normals' wasn't exactly my cup of tea, I hated them. They were all villainous, foul-mouthed entities that had no concept of hardship in this life. Each day of school for me beheld new horrors of abuse and punishment for the sake of being 'different'. No one dared speak to me for the fear of being bullied too. But there's an exception to every rule. During the first term of Year 9 I met a new rebellious brunette. Her name was Vaan Ridgeway, and she hated bullies.

The friendship I found in her changed me over those 4 years that I knew her. We were like peas in a pod, inseparable… I could confide all my years of solitude in her and vice versa. Once winter had come around we'd visit the frozen pond to play hockey and talk. For some time now, I had a secret that I needed to tell Vaan and it was eating me from the inside. Almost like my stomach was like a jar of fireflies. When we were at the pond one afternoon I called Vaan over to my side.

"Vaan, do you think I have any chance of getting together with Genny?"
Vaan smiled at me,
"Genevieve Harrison? Of course you do. Wait… I sense a crush alert."
Immediately my face flushed a bright crimson. She always knew how to embarrass me.
"M…maybe," I stuttered.
It was then that Vaan suddenly stopped skating and her face paled. I didn't know what was wrong with her. Had she thought of something bad? It surely couldn't be Genevieve, she flirts with me… but Vaan still stood there dumbstruck.
"Vaan, are you okay? You don't look well," I inquired.
"I'm fine," she snapped angrily. "Just remembered there's an assignment due tomorrow. See ya later Tob."
Then she skated off and ran home.
"What did I say?"
I murmured as a tear fell down my cheek. I gathered my stuff and went home.

We didn't talk to each other for days. I kinda started to miss Vaan's company, but then again, Genevieve kinda filled her shoes. Gen and I met at the park every second afternoon, after school was out. One day I finally got a text from Vaan that said, "Beware of Gen. She's not who you think she is… <3." I ignored it. Genevieve cared, unlike Vaan.

I had no clue that Vaan had wanted to talk for days, but I never went over. Besides, this afternoon I was meeting Genevieve and Matt at the park. When I got there I realised what Vaan was trying to tell me. There under the largest tree in the park stood Matt and Genevieve in a passionate embrace… kissing… I just stood there feeling helpless. The world just dissolved into nothingness, nothing mattered any more, but then I heard a rhythmic thump of someone running and standing in front of me. It was Vaan.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I choked.
She slipped into my embrace as she held me close and let my tears fall into silence.
"I didn't want to be the one to place the dagger in your heart…"


                                                                  ***********

Tears rolled down his cheek as he finished his story.
"Vaan meant well, if she had told me I wouldn't have believed her anyway. Love is blind…"
Ellie stared at Toby in disbelief. Was she really like Genevieve?
"Why did Genevieve kiss Matt instead?"
She asked quietly.
Toby smiled dismally.
"Because of this."
He lifted a bang of jet black hair from the right side of his face to show Ellie that he had no right eye. Just scar.
"Car accident when I was four."
Carefully he brushed his hair over the mass of scars again.
"I was too different for anyone. She flirted with me for a laugh. My affections were just a tool for her to manipulate."
Standing up Toby stretched and walked over to his post behind to the counter. Ellie followed him meekly and sat on a bar stool in front of him.
"For your sake Ellie, don't be like Genevieve. Give honest men an honest chance."
Ellie looked at him curiously,
"How did you know I was a flirt?"
Toby tied his apron around his hips again and brushed the creases out.
"Because one out of two guys you flirt with come and complain to me about you and your naïve, embarrassing public stunts for attention. You're infamous."
He winked at her as she blushed in humiliation.
"Coffee?"
She scoffed at him and stormed out of the café. Sighing in immense relief he leaned against his counter again and smiled.
"That story works every time."