Another week goes by before—on Monday—I get the text from Leo saying that he has some free time after school. I'm so elated and excited I don't even know what to do with myself. I respond immediately, despite my SPED science teacher giving me a dirty look.
ME: Yessss!! Can't wait! Where do you wanna meet?
LEO: Let's just stay on campus
ME: Won't the school be locked though?
LEO: Nope cause of study halls, it stays open til like 5. Meet up in the cafeteria?
ME: See you there!
I bounce up and down in my chair and do the rocking back-and-forth thing I do when I'm feeling overwhelmed. When you are neurodivergent and sensory processing disorder, stress, excitement or virtually an abundance of any emotions can send your sensory issues spiraling. When the second-to-last class gets out, I head to one of the bathrooms and take a long look at myself in the mirror. Gross. My hair, which is so straight I don't need to brush it or anything when I wake up, has chosen today to be a total mess, there is a spot of acne on one of my cheeks and we had tuna for lunch so my breath is probably pretty rank.
I dump half a pack of Fruit Adventure flavor Tic Tacs in my mouth, which takes care of the tuna breath and taste, spray a little cologne on my t-shirt, and use some water from the bathroom faucet to flatted down the few places where my hair is sticking up at odd angles. Turning my head side to side, checking for further flaws, I decide that this is the best it's going to get, and sigh. I'm the ugliest person alive compared to a guy like Leo, but it is what it is. Taking one last look, I sigh again and leave the bathroom.
When last period gets out, I book it down the stairs to the cafeteria, grabbing a seat at the table Leo usually sits at near the door, so he's sure to notice me. Five minutes pass. Then ten. At fifteen, my heart starts to sink a little and I wonder if he might have forgotten or just decided not to come. I pull at my phone and start to type—and re-type—a text to him, asking where he is, when he startles me by loudly knocking his knuckles on the surface of the table.
"Oh!" I say, jumping in my seat a little. "Hi!" I wave.
He waves back and unzips his backpack, producing a small whiteboard and a black dry erase marker.
Sorry I'm late, he writes. I was looking for a whiteboard to write on since my phone is almost dead.
"Cool." I sign, remembering how to say it from one of the lessons I watched on Lifeprint.
Leo sits down across from me and goes back to scribbling. I can read lips pretty well btw. So you can talk if you don't know how to sign something.
"Oh, sweet! Ok!" I say.
Just remember not too fast and not too slow, Leo writes. Talk at the speed you normally do. Talking super slow or annunciating makes reading lips harder.
"Gothca." I say. "Will do!"
So what have you learned so far? Leo writes.
"Not too much." I say. "Very basic stuff."
Show me! He smiles Let's see whatcha got.
I run through just about every sign and beginner sentence I can remember off the top of my head, with Leo either nodding in approval or giving his head a small shake and correcting me. There's a lot of little things I'd never thought about before. Like, a few times I look down at my hands to try and repeat a sign that Leo shows me, while asking a question at the same time, then have him remind me that he can't read my lips if I'm looking down or away from him. Each time I do something stupid like that, my cheeks flush a deep pink and I want to put my head down, cover myself up with my arms and hide. Leo is super nice about correcting me though.
After about an hour he shakes his hands. Nice job! He writes. Not bad at all, you're a quick learner.
"Aw! Thank you!" I say, beaming.
He cocks his head to the side. Stick out your tongue. I do and he laughs.
"What?" I say.
It's super red! What did you eat??
"Ohh! Lots and lots of Tic Tacs."
He nods his head, smiling. Nice. Your breath smells good though, not gonna lie.
I blush. "Thanks. Yours isn't so bad either."
Leo laughs even harder. That look on your face! Is this supposed to be flirting? Cause it's terrible.
"No. No No." I say. "I'm keeping it professional—not trying to do terrible flirting, even though you are cute as hell. We're just practicing here."
Leo bites his lip and turns his gaze to the floor for a few moments, pausing, before writing again. Thanks! Happy to help. Until next time?
I smile. "Will I have to wait another week?"
Leo smiles back and shakes his head. Nah. I don't think so.
YOU ARE READING
Alterity
Teen Fiction15-year-old Erik Morris is beginning his freshman year of high school at The Ducharme School: a specialty school, following being held back the previous year due to struggles with learning disabilities. Despite initially feeling entirely alone, Erik...
