Why hadn't she thought of contact lenses sooner? Of course that would be the answer, even though Bobbi had mentioned them but liked wearing glasses far too much to mess with contacts, she didn't have to wear them in front of hundreds of people at a ballgame. And everyone can wear them, she would be especially determined.

"Sorry, Amy" came the doctor's reply, shattering her thoughts and her idea. "You have very dry eyes and while the keratometer readings didn't show any astigmatism, the shape of your corneas don't lend themselves to contacts. Besides, with this strong of a correction you probably will want to take your glasses off to read initially, at least until you get used to them. Of course, we could consider a bifocal."

Arrgghh! was the only word Amy could think of, but "no" was what came out of her mouth, and rather loudly at that, cutting the doctor off in mid-sentence. "I may wear glasses, but I won't wear old lady's glasses" she fairly shrieked. He could only chuckle and reassured her that bifocals wouldn't be necessary, but that she would have a brief period adjusting to reading with her new glasses. "It won't be very long until you won't want to take your glasses off at all" he said, trying to reassure her. Trying to compose herself she remained quiet, but all she could think of were certain words, like " your glasses" "won't want to take them off at all", but finally said "well, ok, are we done yet?"

"Yes, we are" he said, and swung the phoropter away. The brilliant clarity that was the projected eye chart again blurred into oblivion and Amy now fully understood the meaning of the term mixed emotions. She dearly loved how things looked through lenses and actually liked the idea of having a stylish pair of glasses on her face, but just couldn't come to grips with having her varsity cheerleading dreams shattered because of her myopia. "With this strong of a first prescription, I considered not giving you the full correction right away" explained the doctor as he wrote some figures on a small pad of paper "but you'll adjust to them quickly, and in a few months you may possibly need stronger lenses anyway" and with a flourish handed her the paper with her prescription which she stuffed in her purse without looking to see what was written.

Now faced with not only new glasses, but the prospect of even stronger ones on the horizon, she wondered why she'd let Bobbi con her into the exam and pulled out the prescription form as she walked through the reception area. Bobbi was waiting. "Well, sis, what's the verdict as if I didn't know" chirped Bobbi, only to be greeted by an angry scowl from her sister. "Let's just go get some frames for my, my, my COKE BOTTLES!" snarled Amy as she strode past her sister to the retail part of the office.

"Oh, calm down" was Bobbi's reaction. "They won't be thick and you know it; if you can see out of mine" but before she could finish the sentence Amy said "that's the problem! I could see clearer, a lot clearer the stronger the doctor made them during the exam, and I just know they're going to be thicker and stronger than yours, and they won't let girls with glasses be cheerleaders!" she wailed. Bobbi suppressed a chuckle, approached the frame stylist who had helped select hers, and the three of them began the tedious process of trying on frames from the hundreds available.

After what seemed to Bobbi to be hours (it was really only about 45 minutes) Amy settled on a pair of small rectangular metal frames, with a very neutral copper bronze color that did not stand out against her fair complexion and blonde hair. But then, to Bobbi's chagrin as she wanted to go home, the frame stylist said "you know, we have a special offer going on right now, you can get a second pair very inexpensively, and since you will be needing corrective lenses when you start driver's ed, you might want to consider prescription sunglasses". Oh, great, Amy thought I'll be needing corrective lenses what's next, a white cane? But then, bingo! Sunglasses! No one would know they were prescription! And she said "Yes! Where are they? I want to try some on!" Bobbi could only groan as she looked forward to another long wait.

But, Amy quickly picked out some slightly oversized plastic frames that looked like they could have come from a discount department store, hoping of course for that very look. And, being plastic, the frames would hopefully hide any thickness from the prescription. Then, she sat down across from an optician to be measured for her first glasses, and glanced at her prescription form as she handed it across the table. "What do these numbers mean" she asked, thinking that if she was to be sentenced to the embarrassment of spectacles she just as well should understand what it was all about. "They mean you're still nearsighted" the optician began and then said "do you know if they're stronger than your last pair?"

Amy gulped. Her worst fears were coming true. She was soooo nearsighted a professional optician thought she'd worn them for years. "Uh, I don't have a last pair I've never worn glasses before or at least any of my own." The optician raised an eyebrow at that comment, but then said "Oh. Well, then you will be pleasantly surprised in a few days when you can pick them up, it will be a whole new world for you. Your right eye is a -2.75 and your left is a -2.50, which means you are on the higher end of low nearsightedness. Your correction will make such a difference you'll hate to take them off' she said and with that began the measuring process.

Swell, thought Amy, I'll probably even have to sleep with them on to be able to see my dreams. And her number one dream, that of being a varsity cheerleader, was quickly slipping away. After being measured for both pairs and being informed she could pick them up the following Monday, the sisters left the mall and got in Bobbi's car. This time, Amy rode in silence, and didn't even reach for the old pair of her mom's glasses which were now buried deeply in her purse, the first time she hadn't worn them when she and Bobbi were alone since that fateful day at the movies.

to be continued...