Chapter 1: Community Service

Community service requirement! Seventeen-year-old Ken Webber was dreading his after school-activity for the next two weeks. He had to put in twelve hours of community service to meet the graduation requirements at Gateway High School. Since his job at the movie theater took up many evenings and weekends, he had no choice but to do something in the afternoon. He'd found that the other high school in town, Lincoln High, had a program to "mainstream" students with special needs and used high school volunteers extensively. Ken had volunteered to read to blind students for an hour a day for the next two weeks.

Ken's girlfriend, Kelly, didn't think much of his community service commitment. She understood the need, but didn't like the way it cut into their time together. Kelly liked Ken to pick her up after cheerleading practice, so they could go out for a snack, or sometimes just for some together-time, before he drove her home. When she'd complained, he'd told her, "Hey, it's only for two weeks!"

Kelly was short, only about five feet three inches, but she was curvy and energetic and all around fun to be with. Ken and Kelly had been going together since the end of the last school year when Ken had asked Kelly to his Junior Prom. He'd met her through his best, friend Jon and Jon's long-time girlfriend Sandy. At sixteen, Kelly was a junior, one year behind Ken at Gateway. This year, she'd tried out for and made the varsity cheerleading squad. Her cheer activities and his theater job meant that Ken and Kelly had to work a little harder to find time to be together, but both were proud of her accomplishment.

At five feet, eight inches and one hundred fifty five lbs, Ken was physically fit from eating right and being active. He enjoyed going to the school games but didn't participate in any sports himself. Ken got along with almost everyone -- jocks, geeks, brains, losers, the 'A' list, the no list -- it didn't matter, he could talk to all of them, and was accepted where ever he chose to hang out. Being open and friendly just came naturally to him.

He enjoyed computers and was very good at building them, using them, teaching others how to use them, and programming them. He planned to get a degree in Computer Science or Computer Engineering in college, leading to a good career a few years down the road. He had represented the school in several computer applications contests, and Gateway's three-person team was one of the best in the state. This year, they had already won first place in four tournaments and were the favorites to be the state champions. They'd actually been written about in the local newspaper after their third win.

A lawsuit a couple of years ago had resulted in school "letters" being awarded for representing the school in all kinds of competition instead of just sports. Band members now got them, the debate team got them, and Ken got a letter for his computer club participation; it was sewed onto a letter jacket which Kelly often "borrowed." In fact, she'd borrowed it for the last two months. He didn't mind that at all.

It was a pleasant early October afternoon. The trees were just starting to turn color, and the air had a crisp feeling of autumn in it. Ken went out to the eight-year-old pickup truck his father had given him after buying himself a new one. Although the truck was old, he kept it clean and in great working order. He took pride in his own appearance, his computers, and in his truck.

It took about fifteen minutes to drive across town to Lincoln High. He wondered what it would be like reading to a blind person. Would they appreciate it? Could he just read or would he have to explain the vocabulary? He'd never really met or talked to anyone who wasn't "normal" and had no idea what to expect.

Parking in the student lot at Lincoln, he walked into the school office. After he explained what he was there for, the receptionist told him to go to room 214 in the west wing of the building and gave him directions when he explained that he'd never been there before. The room turned out to be a large central area filled with tables and chairs with a wide corridor around the edge and smaller conference-style rooms on the periphery. There was a desk near the door manned by an attractive, young, twenty-something teacher, who's name according to the placard on the desk was Amy Harris. Ken walked toward the desk expecting to be recognized. When she didn't look up, he cleared his throat and said, "Miss Harris?"

She lifted her head, facing toward him and said, "Hello."

Ken noticed something a little strange in that she didn't look directly at him. Her eyes seemed to be staring toward his chest and not his face. "I'm Ken Webber and I'm here to be a reader."

The teacher typed on the computer in front of her and it spoke, "Ken Webber, Amanda Jennings, room six."

Miss Harris told Ken, "You'll need to go to room six. You will be reading to Amanda Jennings."

Ken was a little surprised at the computer and asked, "Why did the computer talk?"

"I can't read the screen very well, so it's set up for audio output."

He was embarrassed to suddenly realize that this teacher was blind, too, just like the students he'd be working with.