Silence is Golden

Chapter 2: August 2010

"Aiden! Where are you? You're going to me late to school!" My mom yelled from the kitchen.
Two problems: I can't call back and I was already waiting in the car for her, eating toast with raspberry jam. She was the one who woke up late, rushing downstairs, realizing that I was not in the kitchen. In a moment of frustration, I climbed out the car, wiped the crumbs off my pants and walked back in the house, and gave a hard knock on the wall. There was quick steps rushing down the steps were my mother, in a red sweater and fuzzy slippers.
"Oh," her face relaxed, "let's go."
This was my last year of high school. My father moved the family just a few months ago after finding a decent job here. I hate moving. So far in my life, I've moved a total of five times; each time, new kids would find a new way of tormenting me, calling me "dumb" and telling me to "just say something". This year, being a senior at this school, there will still be no difference. I was different. But I hate different.
What was normal was how fast my disability spreads through a school, like a virus. My first period was with Ms. Lou, science.
"Aiden, Peterson," she called out.
The best I can do is raise my hand, quietly. As she begins to call my name once more, she finally glances up, seeing my lonesome hand in the air. She then proceeds to squint at something on her attendance sheet, finally giving off a questionable look on her face before moving on with the next name. Minutes into class, she walked over as I was filling my "Get to know you" worksheet and whispered to me, "Please try to talk in class."
By second period, it was a rumor that I was dumb. As my name came up on role call again, there was snickering everywhere as the teacher looked up, confused, trying to find "Peterson, Aiden".
During lunch, I found a whole row of tables in the back of the cafeteria completely empty. Surprisingly, no one bothered me as I ate my lunch. I heard them though, everybody glancing over at me and whispering about me.
At the end of the day, I walked home, safe and sound, no one yelling anything at me. That's what scared me.