Deaf Defying Love (COMPLETE)

Chapter 3

Home room dragged on forever. The last class of the day was always the longest for me. Not watching the teacher, I just kept doodling in my notebook. I felt somebody tap my shoulder, and I turned. A girl with blue hair purple hair waved at me, and said something apparently so quietly that her mouth barely moved. I just gave her a confused look. She sighed, and repeated herself. Gosh this girl really must be quiet. I took off one of my hearing aids and then signed to her, "I'm deaf." She made her mouth into an "oh my" shape and waved off what she had said. Great, now I feel horrible. She must've been really shy. I opened to new page in my notebook and wrote her a note.

I'm Abira, sorry I'm deaf. I wrote, and slid it over to her. She read it and smiled sheepishly, her cocoa skin now had an embarrassed pink hue to it.

I'm Janelle I didn't know you were deaf I'm sorry. She gave me a sympathized look. Why do people think people being deaf means you have to give them an "everything is going to be okay" look? I ignored it.

No problem at all, what did you need? I watched her begin to write something, stop and stare at it. She shyed away again, but forced her fingers to continue to write.

I just wanted to see if you were nice. It's my first year here. Oh, that's rough.

Rough, you know anybody? She shook her head.

Just you. Sorry to bother you, I'll go back to work. She turned her head and looked back down. She seemed really nice, and so I tapped her shoulder.

Janelle, if you want I'll hang with you. At least until you make some friends? I pushed the note to her and she smiled bigger than I thought she could manage and nodded rapidly, her bangs fell into her pale brown eyes.

Though I don't think I'll make any friends, I'd love to hang out with you! Sorry if I'm strange, I've never had somebody be so nice to me! Are you good at language arts? She wrote back so fast, the notebook almost fell off the table.

First, yes I'm pretty good and L.A. Second, if you talk while looking at me, I can read your lips. I wrote back, smiling. Janelle nodded.

"Could you help me with my assignment? First day of school and I'm already doing homework loads." She still said it looking a little bit down at the floor, but I caught the just of it. I nodded.

Wanna meet at the library? I wrote back. She went stiff and shook her head no. Okay, at my house? I asked again in writing.

"If you're okay with it. I know we just met." She said, and rubbed her upper arm. I smiled and nodded.

Sure, I'll give you my number and I'll text you the address.
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"Ready to go, Abira?" Marco asked signing as he found me in the hallway. I nodded 'yes' and told him about Janelle. "She seems sweet." He signed and took my heavy backpack off my shoulders and onto his. "Don't go kissing her." I half joked and half meant it. Dunno, the signs just came out. He gently flicked my chin, and I lightly punched his shoulder. "I won't, unless she's totally beautiful." He joked back and gently shoved me with his shoulder. "Oh yeah? What's your definition of beautiful?" I raised an eyebrow, curious. He blushed slightly and thought before signing to me. "Look in the mirror and you'll see what I see." He smiled. Lord I love his smile. "Do you really think I'm beautiful, Marco? I mean truthfully? You always sign it to me, but I never know if your just being nice." He opened the passenger door for me, and tossed our bags in the back seat. When he sat down, he stared at me. I just looked back at him, staring. And just as he actually, actually opened his mouth the vibration of somebody banging on my window stopped us. I buried my face into my hands.

"You two better not be secretly in love in there!" My brother, (I assume yelled) through the window.

"CHRIS!" I signed his name, and signed a curse at him. Marco turned deep red, and then started laughing. Chris opened my door, and shoved me to the side sitting next to me. "You know how awkward this is, right?" I asked him, and he nodded. "You're my sister, I have every right to embarrass you." Chris shoved his brown hair out of his face and said hello to Marco. Now that I think about it, they're pretty tight when Macy isn't around. "How's life, Marco?" My brother tosses him a soda from his bag, and handed me a water. "It's alright, you?" Marco sipped the soda. "Same old, same old." My brother shoved me up and put me into his lap so he could have the seat. I just rolled my eyes. "Really, Chris? I'm not a baby, you do know that right?" I signed, and turned to look at him. He pretended to scoff, "please Abira. I shared a womb with you, I think it's okay if you sit in my lap. So I can have a seat, that it." I felt him laugh, and Marco smiled. "You two are awesome," Marco signed. "How's Macy?" Marco tipped back his seat and folded his arms behind his head. Chris smiled devilishly and laughed. "She's mine, so she has to be doing good." He joked, but I was unamused. "I better get to my car, see you guys." Chris dumped me from his lap and slammed the door shut, I felt the rumble.

"He sure is..." Marco started to sign but had to think. "Full of himself? Yes, yes he is." I smiled, and Marco smiled too. "Hey.... You were gonna speak to me a second ago, weren't you?" I asked. Slowly, he tipped his chair upright and nodded. "I was gonna say it but, I'll just sign it, okay? Yes, I do think you're actually, truly beautiful. I mean, how could I not? You don't give yourself the credit, Abira." He started to drive out of the school parking lot, and he had silenced me by what he said. I didn't think he really meant it. I assume he always said it to be nice to me, because we're friends.

"Sorry that was awkward and wrong of me to say." He signed and turned his head fully to the road. For five minutes, the car was completely silent. A normal person could've at least listened to the engine rumble, and cars whiz past. No, I wanted to say. No, it's okay you said that. No, it's not awkward. No, it wasn't wrong. Yes, I'm okay with you saying that. Why did I just think all that? "You're fine." Was all I signed. I don't even know if he saw me, but I figured I might as well say it.