Serenity

by Hikari 

Story One : The Eyes of Amy

Hi! My name is Amy Reed and I am twelve years old now! Today is a big day for me. I'm about to enter Serenity college. It is a private college for girls everybody in town talks about nowadays. My big sister Mia has been going to that school for two years now and I can’t wait to be able to see her all the time again! See, Serenity is a boarding school, so my sister would only visit us for the holidays. I used to cry whenever she’d go back to that distant school, but I'm a big girl now. I never visited my sister here, so I don’t really know how is it to live on a school campus all year so I'm a little bit scared. I can’t wait to see how big my room will be. My bag feels heavy in my hands, and I'm waiting in line so they can give me my room’s number and pair me with my future roommate. I can’t wait to see her. I hope we’ll get along fine!

My turn finally comes. In front of me, a pretty blonde woman with dark framed glasses smiles at me and asks me for my name. I answer, smiling back and she hands me an envelope filled with documents. It sounds easy so far, but I wish my sister was around so she could help me. However, the older students aren't here today, I'm only surrounded by first graders, and I'm pretty proud to say I look a lot more comfortable with this new life than most of them. The nice lady then tells me to go see the nurse in the other room. I don’t feel sick so I wonder why I should see a nurse… But I obey, without really giving it much thought. After all, it must be a formality.

I enter the room as soon as the nurse is finished with the previous girl. She looks okay, so I guess the nurse didn't gave her a shot. I am relieved. The nurse is pretty and is wearing large white framed glasses. I had never seen white framed glasses before, but they look good on her. 

They actually fit quite well with her nurse’s uniform. She smiles at me as I enter the room and tells me she’s going to take a few measurements so they can give me a fitting uniform. One cool thing I like with this school is the fact you don’t have to buy your uniform yourself. It comes with the entrance fee. In fact, they don’t only give you one. You have a few spare ones so you can survive without having to wash it everyday. Well, that’s what my sister told me, at least. I was afraid I’d have to wash my uniform each night wearing only my underwear at first. I guess I am just silly sometimes. I'm going to spend a lot of time wearing it anyway, since we’re not allowed to wear anything else on the campus, not even while we’re not in class.

But wait, why would they need a nurse to take measurements? I look at her in confusion as she checks my sizes. She smiles at me some more and ask me : “Do you wear glasses or contact lenses?” I blink at her and I finally remember the odd thing about this school. All of its students have to wear glasses. No, I am not kidding. Glasses are an integral part of this school’s official uniform. No student are allowed to walk around the campus not wearing their uniform, including their glasses. I remember the first time my sister came home wearing her new pair of glasses. I was a bit surprised as I had never seen my sister with glasses before. She used to have a perfect eyesight, but now, she was wearing those rather large glasses with blue plastic frames. I wanted to try them on, out of curiosity, but she didn't want to take them off, saying they really helped her see better and didn't feel comfortable anymore without them. I have never seen my sister without glasses again since that day. It was very strange because we all have a very good eyesight in the family. All the friends she brought back home also wore the same blue glasses and I kind of started to feel jealous of them. They all wore glasses all the time and seemed to like them. My parents even told my sister she looked cute with them. I thought glasses were cool, so I asked my parents for some. They just chuckled and told me I was lucky enough to be born with good eyes. I didn’t feel I was that lucky. But now, I can’t believe I’m going to be wearing my own glasses all the time soon. It actually feels a bit strange, and I’m not sure if I want to wear them anymore. But I guess it is too late for that and anyway, my eyesight is fine, so I’m just going to receive fake lenses. The nurse makes me sit in a chair and asks me to read a weird chart on the wall. I can read the entire chart, except for the two last lines at the bottom… 

They’re so small, I’m sure nobody can read them from this distance. She then ask me to look at the chart through a strange device. I can’t see a thing through it, so she does something with the machine and I can hear some clicks. I can see better now, but not quite good. I can now read the top letters again, so I’m relieved. She asks me if I see well, so I shake my head. She continues to switch lenses asking me questions. After a while, I can see the chart perfectly again and I smile at her. 

“This is perfect!” The nurse proceeds to some more tests and smiles at me. “You’re a little bit nearsighted, miss Reed, but not much. You’ll see better with your glasses.”

I can’t believe it. Me? Nearsighted? Well, I guess it explains why things looked a little blurry when I looked at them from afar, but I wasn’t sure if it was normal or not… But I can still see perfectly fine without glasses… I can’t believe my lenses will have an actual strength… I look at the nurse, worried. “Are you sure?”

She smiles back and nods. “Yes, but your myopia is very benign. But since those are your first glasses, it might take a short while get used to them. But don’t worry, you’ll learn to love them in no time.”

I look at her again, not so worried anymore, although the “time to get used to” bit makes me curious. “When am I going to get them?”

The nurse looks at the clock on the wall. She says to me, still smiling : “They will be ready in your dormitory room this afternoon, after lunch. Now, go to the common room and just wait for the principal’s speech once we’re all done here.”

I am quite surprised to hear this. Only a few hours? It’s quick! I can’t wait for the afternoon to come…

I am now standing in my new room, ready to unpack my things. My roommate is nowhere in sight, I wonder where she could be. I look around and notice a package resting on each of our beds. What could it be? I look at the package on the closest bed, and I notice the name Brenna Hart on it. I guess this must be the name of my roommate, so I quickly check the other package. 

Just as I thought, my name is written on it. I guess I just have to open it now. As I unwrap the package, I can feel the soft fabric inside! It is my uniform, already ready for me to wear! I can’t wait to be walking around in it, so I quickly put it on. The uniform is basically a simple dark blue pleated skirt and a white blouse with a dark blue scarf matching with the skirt. Just like my sister’s! I look at myself in the mirror and smile. I look just like her. Minus the glasses. I look into the package one again and notice I missed a little dark blue case that was still inside. My heart starts to beat faster as I take the case. Does it contain my glasses? 

I curiously flip the lid open and curiously look at what’s inside. They are my glasses indeed, coming in pretty round blue plastic frames, just like my sister’s. I feel a bit weird. Should I start wearing them right now? It might actually be best for me, so I can get accustomed to them. As I take them out of the case, I realize they are a lot heavier than I thought they would be. I take a closer look at them and I notice how thick their lenses appear. I feel a little bit worried. After all, I didn't think they would be thick at all, but these lenses stick out of the frames a lot and I can see all these strange rings inside of them. Their lenses are also quite flat and reflect the light in strange ways. I notice a piece of paper inside of the case and I quickly take a lot at it. It only says : 

“Amy Reed, room E404, R –23.00 L –23.25”. 

Doesn't mean much to me… I put the note into the discarded package. The name said it all, these glasses are mine after all. I just thought they’d look a bit weaker. I take a deep breath and slide the glasses on my face for the first time.

I guess I was not ready for what is currently happening to me. I can’t see anything out of these glasses and I become very dizzy all of a sudden. I try to look at my hand but the only think I see is a big blur, then I try look out by the window, but I can’t even locate it. I start to panic. Am I not supposed to see better with these things? I try to squint my eyes a lot, but it doesn't make anything better. I'm just starting to have a big headache. I quickly take them off and look at them again, confused. Is this what the nurse meant by needing some time to get used to them? There is no way I’m going to put these things in front of my eyes again… But…

I might as well give them another chance. After all, most of the girls here already wear glasses, and they’ll make fun of me if I'm not able to wear mine like they do well. I take a deep breath and put the blue framed glasses back on my face. The dizziness starts again. I try to look outside once more and this time, I manage to find the window. I can actually see what’s way over there quite fine, meaning the glasses actually work. Now, I only have to wear them for a while so I get used to them. I can do that. I mean, I've never been afraid of trying new things but I wish I knew more about glasses before coming here. I decide the best way for me to do it is to take a walk around the campus, trying to look casual. After all, school only starts tomorrow. I leave the room wearing my glasses, but I can’t really figure out where I'm going. And I'm starting to have this headache! I didn't know wearing glasses for the first time would be so tough …

I wore my glasses all day. Luckily for me, I found out the teachers were organizing a little walk around the campus so we could familiarize with it. I couldn't see very well, but I was able to follow the other girls. They all wore glasses, but I couldn't really see their faces. I wonder how many of them were also wearing them for the first time. I also wondered if they also had trouble seeing anything. It was very interesting nonetheless and I went back into my room. Still no roommate. Maybe she couldn't make it here today… It made me curious. My head didn't hurt as much as it did in the beginning of the afternoon and I was a lot less dizzied by the lenses. I'm starting to feel a bit better. I haven’t removed my glasses even once today and I am quite proud of it. I'm a big girl now so there’s no way I'm going to whine about glasses. I feel like taking a shower. It should be easy since each room has a small bathroom. I make my way to the bathroom and start to take my clothes off. I wonder if glasses-wearing people keep them on when they take a shower… I've never thought to ask before. I guess they do keep them on if they want to see what they are doing, so decide to keep my glasses too. They are a bit heavy, but I kinda like wearing them. I can’t wait to show them to my sister. They start to fog up in the shower and I don’t see anything any more. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all. But I keep them on nonetheless, there is no way I am going to give up so soon. I am a proud glasses wearer now, so I need to act like one. The idea makes me smile and I get out of the shower. I try to look at my face in the mirror but I cannot see it at all. Anything close is a big blur but the background is starting to come into focus. I guess I’ll manage to see perfectly with them very soon. I can’t wait. Now I feel like going to bed. I decide to keep my glasses on again. Just in case.

I felt quite lost when I woke up but I quickly remembered I was wearing glasses now. Everything I see is still a blur, but I am sure it’s not as bad as it was yesterday. The only thing I don’t want to is the other girls to notice I am not used to wear glasses. I am currently in class and can’t really see anything in front of me, but it’s okay because the teacher is currently doing introductions. I wonder what my classmates look like, but I don’t want to try to look at them from above my glasses, or they’ll notice something’s not right with me. I am a bit shy, and I don’t make friends easily so I’d rather not try to befriend one of them as long as I can’t see perfectly with my glasses. I wonder if one of them is going to come and talk to me during the break.

I am pretty positive I can see better now. Especially in the distance. I can actually see stuff I couldn't see before I wore these glasses. I am glad. I haven’t seen my sister yet since I forgot to ask her for her room number, but I'm actually relieved, because I want to meet her only when I'm fully accustomed to my glasses. Still no roommate in sight. I don’t mind being alone in my room but I am sort of worried about her. Her package is still on her bed, her sheets intact just like they were on day one. Oh well, maybe she’ll be there tomorrow, who knows…

I decided to start doing normal activities so I could see better with my glasses. I try to read and watch TV with my glasses on as much as I can. I can actually read fine now, if I hold the book far enough from my face. I don’t mind, it’s actually funny. I think I like to wear glasses now, it feels good to have them on my nose and ears all the time. I find their presence comforting.

I have been going to Serenity High for a week now. I've also been wearing glasses full time for the whole week too. I can’t really see very well trough them, but it’s not that bad any more. I actually enjoy them even more now, and haven’t felt the need to take them off ever since I started to wear them on my first day. I've even made a couple of friends in my class. It’s strange to be in a class where all the girls wear glasses all the time. In fact, even the teachers all wear glasses, so it’s been a while since I've seen somebody without them. I've also met my sister and she was really surprised about my glasses. She didn't know I needed such strong lenses and was quite happy I got them for free in this school. I didn't tell her my glasses weren't as strong as she thought. She just doesn't know a thing about glasses, I guess. She offered me to try her own glasses on, but I refused. I don’t want to take mines off before I am completely used to them. It seems like she understood and smiled at me. She visited my room, and we noticed my roommate had moved in while I was gone. Her things were there, but there was still no trace of her. I wonder where she could be.

I finally met Brenna, my roommate, at last. Seems like she broke her arm last week so she couldn't come to school at all. I guess the poor girl is also very unlucky because she wears very strong glasses and told me she was blind without them. It seems like the school also made a mistake with her prescription, because the glasses she received in the package were too weak. She went to the nurse’s office to ask if her prescription was switched with somebody else’s, but the nurse told her no student reported a pair of unfitting glasses. But they took the weak glasses back and she could get new ones that suited her vision better. She is a nice girl, but she appears to be very shy. It’s very hard to see her eyes through her thick lenses as they look very tiny and light reflections hide them most of the time. I wouldn't want to wear glasses like that. She told me she has been wearing strong glasses ever since she was a very little girl. I felt a bit jealous, so I told her I had been wearing mine for just as long. She smiled at me and told me she wondered if our prescriptions were close. I told her I guessed so, because I didn't want to make her sad, but I know my glasses are nowhere as strong as hers. The nurse told me so after all.

Brenna and I are in the same classes. We’re becoming good friends already. I wonder what she looks like without glasses, but she never takes them off, just like all the other students in the school. I can understand it now, I just love to feel my glasses on my face. I am so glad I got them and I can’t wait for our autumn break so I can show them to my parents. I can see quite well with them now, and everything looks so clear in the distance. I've never been able to seen stuff this clearly before… Too bad everything becomes blurry once I try to look at something closer to me. Maybe I need bifocals? Like these old people do? Yuck, I don’t want to. I won’t report it to the nurse just yet.

I've been a student here for two months now and I just love this school so far. Brenna and I are now best friends and we do everything together. She’s not in the room right now and I am studying for an exam tomorrow. I notice I can see the text in the book perfectly. I wonder for how long I have been able to. I didn't realize it before today, but I can see perfectly fine now, and the glasses are just natural for me now. I actually wonder how I managed to live without them for so long before. I am very happy and I run to the bathroom to look at myself in the mirror. The glasses suit me quite fine, though I cannot really see my eyes though the lenses. Just like my roommate. How odd… I move my head around, hoping to get rid of the reflections, but I just can’t. I didn't really pay attention to my looks before, so I am a bit surprised. I decide to take my glasses off for the first time in two months, to take a look at my eyes again. But as soon as I slide them down my nose, I feel nauseous. Everything around becomes a total blur. It’s impossible. I nervously try to put them back on my face, but I fumble and knock them off for good. I look around, panicked, but I cannot see a single thing. Everything is just a big blur. I quickly get down on my knees trying to search for my glasses, but I cannot find them at all. Where could they be? As I grope around, I feel like I am about to cry. I want my glasses back! I had no idea my eyesight was so bad without glasses. I guess the nurse only told me my vision wasn't bad at all so I would feel better. But I was blind as a bat, and I guess that’s why I was jealous of my sister’s glasses. No, this can’t be… Something is wrong, I remember I could see better than that before… But I don’t remember by how much. But the only thing I wanted right now were my glasses.

My roommate eventually came to my rescue. She found my glasses in the sink and I felt stupid for not checking there beforehand. She hugged me and told me how she understood how I felt. She told me various stories about her glasses all night. I am in class right now, but I can’t help but think about last night’s events. No matter how I try, I cannot see a single thing when I am not wearing my glasses. Did my vision got worse in the last two months?

I now realized my vision got worse, as I can’t really see all that well with my glasses any more. My roommate told her she had to get a new prescription every semester so I guess it’s going to be the same for me. I am glad I was able to get my first glasses before my eyes got weaker, at least. My parents were very surprised to see me with these glasses when I visited them for the fall break, but they told me I was cute with them too, just like they told my sister, so I feel happy. Now, I am back in school waiting in front of the nurse’s office to get my eyes checked. After all, I was so glad to be able to see everything so clearly with my glasses so I can’t wait to be able to see that way again.

I just got a new pair of glasses and I can’t tell if they’re thicker than my previous ones because I can’t really look at them if I am not wearing them. I know I still cannot see my eyes in the mirror but I guess it has something to do with the way the bathroom is lit. Other than that, everything is great, since I can see perfectly fine with them. I am so glad I can wear glasses with all the other girls here. It wouldn't have been the same out there in one of these normal schools. I still wonder how I managed to live without glasses all these years without noticing how bad my eyesight was. I never had a good memory, so I don’t really remember how it was before, in fact. I know I love my glasses now and I swear I am never going to take them off again. But they do feel quite heavy sometimes…

Serenity 01 : The Eyes of Amy – The End