I'm sorry. I can't.

A circle seemed to form around Lucus as he made his way through the crowd. It was an invisible barrier, one put up by the well dressed people around him. One that set him apart from them. Lucus didn't care. He could hear the echoes coming from the brightly lit stage. An enthusiastic presenter was standing front and center, opening the speeches. From what Lucus had heard, he was first in the line of presenters. There were supposed to be three others. All of them were celebrities. The man on stage was presenting with open arms. He was dressed according to the dress code, however, it seemed very stubborn and salty. It looked extremely gaudy, and was filled with many shapes and frills that stuck out majestically. They were all in white on a black suit, and one could easily see that it had been spray painted over in these new colors. They were taunting. One that made every member of the audience yearn for the outfit in full. Every facet and color. Every bright statement. It all seemed muted, yet it still screamed in your face. Every well known art critic was nodding slightly when he moved, demonstrating more of the suit.

"Welcome, welcome everyone! So happy to see all of you and your wealth, oops I mean wonderful-" He grinned coyly and stage whispered, "well, I can't lie, you all are pretty wealthy!" He stuck out his tongue and made a face that would only be acceptable from a young child or a man of his stature. The crowd laughed at the poor joke. It wasn't a laugh of joy or happiness. It was more of a polite chuckle for the cameras. There were so many cameras. The man began to circle around the stage, whipping himself around dramatically with every turn. "So glad to be your host for tonight. So glad! So glad." He had so much enthusiasm in his voice, one that Lucus could only hope to match in emotion for his very own. "God, isn't it so awesome, to get the chance to witness such talent first hand? I know it is for me!" he stuck his hand up goofily. "Well, enough about me, folks. Is it okay if I call you that?" He looked down at an old balding man who wore surprisingly kind wrinkles in the corners of his eyes, who was sitting in the second row. "Yeah, look at this guy! He loves it too! Aww look! He's clapping! Come on guys! Let's give him a round of applause. Our first esteemed speaker, here for you and me, the blind boy with a voice, internet sensation, our favorite superstar, Lucus… Hmm, no last name? Well then! Give a warm welcome to Lucus!" Lucus sped up at the sound of his name. He was in a full sprint now. Quite a few people were dramatically pushed aside with a pompous oof. Most glared at him from over their shoulders. The man on stage Held out his arm to the side where Lucus was expected to come out of. He held it there awkwardly for a few seconds, before putting it down and repeating his name in a confused voice. He asked a few more times, before decidedly turning to the audience to announce that Lucus wouldn't be coming. It was at that moment, that Lucus jumped onto stage.

It was quite dramatic. One that rivaled even the man's own stature. He jumped up in a hurried leap, and appeared seemingly out of thin air next to him. The man grinned widely, handed Lucus the microphone, and gave Lucus the stage.

Lucus fumbled around in his pocket for a few seconds, before finding a paper. He raised it to his face, and cleared his throat.

"Well as you might know, I don't really need this." He laughed and tossed it to the side. He paused for the audience to laugh. "Bet I tricked some of you there. I mean, I can't see you, but I know a few of you are raising your hands. Well, at least I hope." Lucus was surprised by his own power and enthusiasm. He was making everything up on the spot. Lucus emulated the way of talking the man he had heard used. He was stalling. Now that he thought about it, wasn't it a little boring? He wasn't famous. He wasn't someone made for this place. He should be elsewhere. Somewhere with his friends. Somewhere he knew. Everything was unfamiliar. Lucus's mind flashed to the sounds of Allicia's unconscious body being loaded into the ambulance. He snapped to after a few people coughed. He blinked, before continuing. He felt around in his pocket. He realized his hands were sweaty. A little panic set in, but Lucus suppressed it. This wasn't the time to be falling into fountains. He found what he was looking for. A small wood block. It was small, but there were carvings in it. Little ones in braille. It wasn't his entire speech, that wouldn't fit. Instead, it was filled with cues to remind him of each part and where not to mess up. It really was a sight. You could feel all the second hand embarrassment wafting about the room. He was standing up on stage, awkwardly attempting to find something in his pocket for the second time. It was honestly sad to have wasted such an amazing introduction. Lucus opened his mouth to speak, before closing it when nothing came out. There was a lump building up in his throat. Something large that prevented any words from escaping. This was his chance. His audience and stage was right there. One to help him change the world. Why was he unable to say anything? What was wrong with him? His mind flashed back to Allicia's cries as she was being carried away. He pushed it down and tried again. Only a small squeak came out. This was seemingly worse than nothing at all. The sound of the ambulance leaving the curb. He would later learn that he was staring at her. His useless eyes wandering around to the subject whenever he heard sound. At least, the sounds he truly cared about. When he did this, it could seem like he could really see. Lucus dropped the block in his pocket. He placed both hands on the microphone and said six simple words.

"I'm sorry. I can't do this."