The Silence Between Us ✓

[3] The Look

NOAH

I met my mates in the canteen as I always did before first period. I think the only way to describe my friends were extremely stupid and yet funny with it. Most of them were on the football team so we all kind of met through that.

"Hey Noah!" Jack greeted me as I came to sit down. Jack was probably the guy that I was closest to – just because we met way before high school and knowing somebody for that long automatically made you best mates. He was always there for me like a brother - one that I could trust with anything. He always had my back.

"Hi guys!" I replied and they went back to whatever conversation they were having before.

"So yeah, she was all like 'Oh I'm so happy that we've got partnered up' and 'I really want to get to know you better'" Tony continues the story "And all I can say is that she is FINE, so I'm happy as well."

"You think it's gonna go anywhere?" One of my other mates, Connor, asked. All I can assume is that this was about the coursework partners; Tony was partnered up with Alana, who was good looking, I couldn't deny it, but she could be extremely stupid at times.

"I dunno to be honest. It could do, but then she can get annoying, can't she?"

"And meanwhile Noah's got the joy of working with Via – if you could even call it that" Jack said smirking. I made a face and laugh along. For some reason I felt a small pang of guilt, not enough to properly feel guilty, but enough to notice it.

"Seriously?! Via?" Connor said grimacing "She's an absolute nutcase!"

"I know right?" Harrison joined in "She's that much of a weirdo that she could just end up to be a psychopath or something."

Despite their athletic ability, I would describe most of my friends as harmless; they didn't really bother many other people. But for Harrison... there was always something in his eyes that told me that there's something there. I don't know – like there's something deep down that I couldn't quite put my finger on. But there was something there, and although I didn't know what it was, I knew that it could cause harm.

"Oh My God yes – she must spend so much time alone, like, plotting to murder us all" Connor replied and I internally groaned at the thought of English second period. Yet another hour of sitting in silence doing absolutely nothing as Via does the exact same. And I had maths first! Honestly kill me now.

I couldn't concentrate in maths – big surprise – though when do you actually fully focus on what the teacher's saying on a normal day? I tried (unsuccessfully) not to look at Via. For some reason, I didn't think of her as the stupid crazy weirdo Via that we all thought of her as - I didn't know one person that actually had said something nice about her throughout the whole time I'd known her – I thought of her as... I don't know... vaguely normal? I guess because of the fact that she doesn't speak, I'd subconsciously reached the conclusion that she didn't actually have any thoughts or feelings. Almost like she wasn't human.

I remembered when she first came to the school – at the start of year ten. It stuck in my mind because Mrs Porter didn't do that annoying thing that she always did where she'd make the new student stand in front of the class and introduce themselves. She just brought Via to a few of the classes over the first week and the teachers just instructed her to sit at the back, where she kept her head down the whole time. Kasey Anderson, the friendliest girl in the year for sure, tried to speak to her first, in which she realised very quickly that Via wouldn't reply, at all.

The teachers were cryptic with it though – I was sure they knew more of the story – and would basically just let her do what she wanted. And then she would disappear at break and lunch. She was a big mystery at the start but then after a while, people just started taking the piss because she was boring them and then you end up with what you had now. People still had their theories, but it wasn't all a big conspiracy like it was before.

She brought out a big notebook in English. I assumed at first that it was something for her to do for the hour – doodling or something - but gave a thin smile and wrote down the word hello in big cursive letters. I didn't get it – if she could write the words down why couldn't she speak? I was assuming that it was something either anxiety or attention related, mainly because she didn't look any different. It wasn't like she couldn't physically open her mouth so why didn't she speak?

I didn't know whether to reply in the book or not; I wasn't the one who didn't talk after all. But because Harrison was only a few desks away and I was scared he'd hear me, I took out a pen and replied on the paper.

I hope you won't insulting me about being sporty again

She gave a small smile as her eyes scanned the page. I could tell she was slightly embarrassed, probably about the comment she made yesterday, but it was still nice to see her smile for once – I hadn't really seen it before.

Don't worry – you're not the one who's got to somehow get the popular sporty one to pass their coursework

Who says I've got to pass?

She made a face and I tried not to laugh

Ok so the thing is I've got to pass, so by extension, you've got to pass as well.

Got any ideas?

Well I'm guessing you're not up for the Shakespeare so I guess we're onto writing a story

OK?

You're not keen on writing are you?

Nope

She smiled once again, shaking her head and I thought for the first time that actually this might not be the worst thing in the world.

XXX

"Can Via Mason and Noah Hall please go to Mrs Porter's Office please" The loudspeaker informed me, and the whole school, just as I had got out of class. What could this be about? I almost never got sent to Mrs Porter's office – mainly because I didn't have any major issues or anything that would concern Mrs Porter. It couldn't be a coincidence that Via was also sent; it had to have something to do with the coursework, but I had no idea what. Chances are it had something more to do with Via than me anyway.

I considered waiting for her and then going up together, but we'd only had one conversation and it would just look weird. Also, Harrison and the other boys were right there beside me, so that would just add to everything. I shrugged at their questioning looks and made my way upstairs casually because at the end of the day it couldn't be something bad; I hadn't done anything that could land me in trouble.

I hadn't expected Coach Clayton to greet me eagerly as I stepped into the office, but that's what happened. Maybe it was something completely unrelated to Via then?

"Oh hi Noah!" he said enthusiastically. He's one of those teachers that I'd known since year seven and we knew each other even better because, as Via kept bringing up, I was pretty athletic. I "I just wanted to-"

He was cut off by Via entering the room. I hadn't noticed that Mrs Porter was also here – by the desk in behind the one Coach was sitting at. She looked up as soon as she heard the door being opened and at first, I assumed Via was unnerved by the sudden eyes on her. But looking more closely, I could tell that she was fairly apathetic by the whole thing, which definitely surprised me; I'd always thought of her as more shy and conserved than anything. I guess that was what everyone thought though.

There was a small period of silence, all four of us stuck in the same place before Mrs Porter finally spoke:

"You can carry on Coach – I just need to talk to Via over here" Via obediently walked over to her desk while Coach turned back to me. I can't lie – I was curious and wanted to know what was going on. Especially when it turned out that all Coach wanted to talk to me about was dates for the upcoming competitions.

I pretended diligently that I was listening intently to what he had to say when in reality I was straining my ears to try and guess what their conversation was about. Though to be honest it wasn't really a conversation of sorts because the only voice that could be heard was Mrs Porter's. I only got out fragments of the talk, resenting Coach for his loud voice, small words processing in my mind that could mean anything. The word 'condition' came multiple times which made everything happening with Via so much more serious and then the word 'father'. Was there something going on with Via's father? Was that the reason she didn't speak?