You learned to ignore everyone’s comments pretty quickly. It was easy since all you had to do was keep your head down and avoid focusing on anyone too much. You could read lips if you wanted to and you could probably attempt to speak but you were too tired to pretend to be something you weren’t. You hated the idea of adjusting for them when no one bothered to adjust for you. Most of the teachers didn’t know sign language so you had a translator. Most of your classmates didn’t know sign language so you didn’t have many friends.
You flipped a page in your physics book trying to focus on the formulas in front of you but instead ended up looking around the library at everyone else. Nearly everyone was with a group of friends, laughing and talking. You hated feeling so different from everyone else, so secluded. You quickly looked in front of you when you saw movement and recognized the familiar leather jacket you always saw in your Calculus class. You didn’t know his name but you knew that he didn’t speak much. He gave you a soft smile and gestured to the chair in front of you as if to ask if he could sit, you nodded.
He pulled a piece of paper and a sharpie out of his backpack before scribbling on it in small neat handwriting and sliding it across the table to you, “I’m Tony.”
You couldn’t help but smile, happy that someone was making an effort and wrote on the paper underneath his writing, “I’m Y/N”
From there an unlikely friendship was born. Neither of you ever stated in words, or writing, that you’d meet in the library at lunch every day, or that you’d bring extra gummy worms to offer him, or that you’d bring sharpies and paper every day. It just happened.
You sat in the library for what felt like the millionth time, waiting for Tony. You always arrived first, took out your books, and took out your food. As usual Tony took his seat across from you and took out paper.
“What’s wrong?” He wrote looking at you as you read it, trying to read your face. You shook your head in response, he picked up the sharpie again but set it back on the desk.
He fiddled with his hands before shakily signing, “What’s wrong, I know you’re not okay?”
You gave him the biggest smile and got up from your chair to pull him in for a hug before backing up so you could sign, “You learned?”
“I’m trying, I was going to surprise you for your birthday but it looks like you need cheering up.”
I WILL NO LONGER BE WRITING FOR MONTY DE LA CRUZ DUE TO HIS ACTIONS IN SEASON 2
