Louder than Words | I'm Not Okay with This Fanfiction

Untitled Part 5

After a while, Stanley and Phoebe started to spend more and more time together. Most of the time they would spend together often involved teaching Stanley more sign language and Phoebe showing him her artwork. She found him to be kind of weird, but she grew more fond of it since she saw it as a good kind of weird.  Phoebe also noticed how he didn't seem to care about what other people thought about him, which was similar to how she chose to not let people's presumptions about her deafness get to her. On the following Saturday,  Stanley pulled up at Phoebe's house to pick up her up. Luke recognized him from the record shop when he showed up at the doorstep. "You know, it's pretty rare for Phoebe to have a boy show up at our door", Katie said teasingly. "Mom!", Phoebe signed in embarrassment. "I'm just joking", Katie laughed. "You guys have fun".  

The inside of the car kind of smelled like weed. "So this is your car?", Phoebe asked. "Oh, this piece of shit? No, it belongs to my dad", replied Stanley. She thought it was pretty bold of him to smoke weed in his dad's car. They arrive at Stanley's house, which was a decent looking house. It wasn't too bad and it wasn't anything compared to a celebrity mansion. It was rather simple looking. They walk in to find Mr. Barber sitting on the couch and drinking beer while watching TV. "Hey, Dad", Stanley greeted him. His dad looked up and eyed Phoebe.

"Who's this?", Mr. Barber asked. "um, Dad, this is Phoebe. Phoebe, this is my dad", Stanley said before signing to Phoebe. She gave a simple wave to him. 

"She's deaf?"

"Yeah"

"Well, at least you've finally got friends", he said dryly before taking a sip of his beer. Stanley sighed and lead her downstairs to the basement. "I'm sorry. He's an asshole", he apologized as they walked down the stairs. "You don't have to apologize", she replied. "He probably won't be here for that long, anyway", replied Stanley. He explained that he's often gone for 28 days a month, but it's better when he's not around. When they fully entered the basement, she saw that it included stacks of old VHS', old band posters, comic books, and vinyl records. It was almost like 1990 threw up all over the room. "This is also your bedroom?", Phoebe asked, noticing a bed in the back of the room.

"Yeah", he nodded.

"Do you have other old rock albums, like Nirvana or The Ramones?"

"I only own a few Ramones albums", he replied. "Personally, I prefer them over the Stones"

"You sound like my parents"

"Your parents seem pretty cool"

Phoebe was used to this compliment, considering that her parents had a great taste in certain music and they often seemed very hipster-like. 

"Yeah, well, they also treat me like a baby sometimes", she said. "Probably because my disability makes them cautious, I guess".

"At least they're looking after you, right?"

"Sure"

Stanley took out a tin container full of rolled up weed before putting one to his lips and lighting it with his lighter. "Want one?", he asked as he held out the pack of weed. She shook her head no and he continued to take a drag from his blunt.

"What's your darkest secret?", he asked her. She shrugged. "I don't think I have one", she replied.

"No, come on. Tell me", he slightly chuckled.

"Well, what do you want me to say?"

"I don't know, like, you're an undercover Russian spy, you own a pet cobra, you have a criminal record.."

"Well, how about you tell me yours?"

 "Ok. I have a shit ton of zits on my back"

He turned around and took his shirt to reveal rose colored zits that populated most of his back. "Damn.It's like acne city", she said.

"Right?", he pulled his shirt back down and turned around to face Phoebe. "Now, you go next".

"Ok, ..I have a birthmark between my boobs"

She lowered the collar of her white tank top(under her flannel) and showed half of her chest, revealing  chest nut brown birthmark that started at the upper part of her breasts trailed down the valley in between them. 

"Neat", he replied. 

She continues to look around the room until she noticed the Bloodwitch vinyl record that stuck out  from the lower shelf like a sore thumb. She walked towards it and knelt down to it.

"I see you still have Bloodwitch", she pointed out.

"Yeah. Do you want to listen to it?"

She nodded her head before picking it out.

He placed the record on the record player. She placed her hand on the speakers of the vinyl player and felt the vibrating rhythms of the drums being played in the beginning of the song. She slowly started to rock her head to the song. "You like this song?", asked Stanley. Phoebe nodded her head. She swayed to the rhythm. He turned up the volume a little bit and soon, Phoebe felt the rhythm vibrate below her feet.

She pulled Stanley's hands towards her, encouraging him to dance with her. The two teens danced together. Stanley spun her and brought her back in to his arms. She giggled. Then, the laughter died down and they stood there in silence for a moment. 

"How do you say 'cute' in sign language?", Stanley asked. She showed him how to do so.

"Well, I think you have a cute personality"

Phoebe tried her best not to blush. "Thank you", she replied, speaking softly as she signed. She felt her stomach tie up in knots as she stared in to his soft brown eyes and the same simple, sweet smile she fell in love with. It was at that moment she knew she was in love with Stanley Barber.