Desperate For A Voice

Chapter 1: Are You Deaf or Just Plain Dumb?

Summary: AU: Introverted Riley has been slowly going deaf since she was young. In a recent accident Maya lost her sight that left her bitter at the world. These girls couldn't be more different, but they become fast friends when they meet at a school for the disabled. As they each search for a voice, will they discover that they've had it all along? Lucas is Riley's brother.

** Farkle and Zay are students at this school.

Ages:

Auggie: 11

Riley: almost 16

Maya: 15 1/2

Lucas: 18

Josh: 19

Zay and Farkle: 16

Third Person POV

Ever since Riley had been little, loud, noisy areas made her nervous. She especially hated it when one of her friends would stick their head over the bus seat and try to talk to her. At first, because Riley couldn't read their lips like she normally did to survive, her friends would have to repeat themselves. But the cruel kids' responses eventually became,

"Are you deaf or just plain stupid?"

Riley quieted her own voice to hear other's voices. She learned to smile and nod when she couldn't understand what someone was saying. But it still continued to get worse, until...

"Riley, I think you're ready to attend the John Quincy Adams School for the Disabled. We have been discussing this. It's a place that you can learn skills to function," her mom had told her.

It absolutely petrified Riley. Her mom had always been her lifeline. She had almost never been away from home for long periods of time. But after her brother Lucas calmed her down, she agreed to go. With one condition: Lucas drove her there.

OoOoOoO (September 29th)

The school was set up with four hallways that all met up to the main room, with two floors. The west side was boys and the east side was the girls rooms. A blind girl always roomed with a mute or deaf girl and same for boys. The class were all on the second floor.

That's how Riley Matthews and Maya Hart met. Lucas and Auggie had just finished signing goodbye to their sister when Maya walked into the room.

Nobody was there to say goodbye to Maya that Riley could see. She walked in, turned her iPod on and put on a pair of Beats headphones. She was dressed in halfway, loosely tied combat boots, tight black leggings, an old popular rock band T-shirt, and a tight, light-colored zipper-up jacket.

"Hello," Riley greeted shyly. Maya didn't turn her head toward her. She snorted a response, but Riley didn't hear.

"I read lips," Riley inserted hopefully.

"I can't. So speak up," Maya signored to her, looking in her direction. Riley didn't know she was almost whispering.

"You know sign language?" Riley said a little louder.

"My older brother was deaf," Maya explained in sign language.

"Well, I'm Riley."

"My name is Maya." Maya signed her name like she always did with her brother. The sign for flower and an M. Riley's signal was an R.

And that's all you need to know, Maya thought.

OoOoOoO

Riley would like to say that it all got better with Maya after that, but it didn't. The dormroom could get pretty tends sometimes. Riley did her best to avoid Maya, but it didn't always work. Maya was mad. Mad at the world because it was cruel and evil, and they had both seen it all. Neither one new how much the other knew.

Stay Gold y'all,

~ Alee XxX