Songbird

Something about her made him uncomfortable, maybe it was the way she just nodded and smiled whenever someone talked to her, like she was totally stupid or something. Couldn't she talk?

Well that was it.

She couldn't.

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Chapter 1 – Blackbird

"What's your problem? Just tell me what it is you want! Are you stupid?" The words that tumbled from his mouth were much harsher than he had intended, but it was infuriating, dealing with this girl who wouldn't SAY what she wanted, just making vague gestures to the items he had in the back of his cart. But almost immediately he realized he had said too much.

Neil had seen her around town often since she moved in but they had never spoken. The one thing he had noticed that always, at all times, a small smile was spread over her face. But he had broken it, the shattered pieces of it fell at his feet from those three sentences. An awkward silence hung over them and in it he saw her face redden with anger, and sadness, then more anger. She was going to yell at him, loudly, and he winced slightly preparing for the storm. But it didn't come. Nothing came. She simply breathed a big, deep breath, ran her fingers through her short brown hair, and walked away. But not quickly enough to hide the small tears that pricked at the corners of her eyes.

A feeling welled deep in Neil's gut, a cold uncomfortable one. He never wished so hard that someone had yelled at him. In fact he wished she had done anything except… except THAT.

..:*:..

"… and the worst part was she didn't say ANYTHING." Neil was leaning against the counter at Allen's salon.

When Allen had moved to town everyone assumed he and Neil would be mortal enemies. But the truth was they shared something, a sort of cynicism about the world that made it easy for them to talk to one another. At least, they could complain about customers to one another.

Allen looked steadily at Neil then sighed, "… So he forgot to tell you?"

Neil's eyes narrowed, "What does that mean?"

"Her name is Rio… and… she's mute. I thought Dunhill would have told everyone but apparently…"

Something was crashing down on Neil; realization, guilt.

"He forgot to tell me…"

..:*:…

Neil was trying to keep cool but inside he was angry, so angry he could scream. He had possibly just made himself the biggest jerk in the world by yelling at a girl who was mute. It took every physical bone in his body to stop him from yelling at Dunhill, but somehow he managed to knock peacefully on his door, and when there was no answer, he invited himself in. The old man was bent over something hard at work, his old floppy hat laid to the side.

"Dunhill…"

"OH! Neil! Good to see you what can I do for you?" He smiled, shaking Neil's hand and giving him a wide smile.

"The farm girl, the one you brought to town? You didn't tell me… She's… um… well she can't…" Neil sighed in frustration, why was he so bad with this sort of thing? But Dunhill understood what he meant and already his face had turned dark.

"… Blast this old head of mine!" He yelled suddenly causing Neil to jump, "For goodness sake you went off on her didn't you? The poor thing! That temper of yours is something else…" He grew quiet, his hand resting on whatever it was he hand been working on.

"Wait this is your fault!" Neil felt himself growing defensive, "you forgot to tell me!"

"I know boy, I know…" he picked up what looked like a small board. He stared at it for a moment then handed it to Neil.

It was a tiny chalk board, with chalk dangling from the side by a string.

"I was going to give this to her today but… you should probably do it. Sort of a peace offering huh?" He said kindly.

Neil hesitated for a moment, he didn't want to see her, really he had no idea how he should act. "I… OK I will."

"Play her a song too."

"What? No! Absolutely not!" He didn't play music for just anyone, especially not this strange girl.

"Look the girl loves music, she got excited over my whistling, which as the whole town knows, is off key." Neil had to nod in agreement with that, "And I'm no expert but knowing you like I do you probably owe her at least that for what you said."

He was right.

Neil knew it.

So on the way to Rio's farm he stopped by his house and pulled out a guitar, not his bright electric one. His acoustic one that was a little beat up and covered in stickers from when he was a teenager.

Taking a deep breath he knocked lightly on her door.

A long pause, a few banging sounds, and the door swung open nearly catching Neil in the face. The smell of stew wafted out in dizzying wave that swept over Neil as he looked at Rio standing in the doorway.

Her smile faded as she recognized him and Neil struggled to find the right words.

"Your Rio right? I think… I think I owe you an apology."

She gave him a different sort of smile, one tinted with sarcasm, he didn't need her to talk to understand what that smile meant.

You think?

She motioned for him to come in, closing the door and untying the apron she was wearing. She gestured to one of the seats at her table. Neil slung his guitar off his back and leaned it against the table, then sat down, wincing as the old chair creaked beneath him.

Five minutes later he was drinking a mug of warm milk with her sitting silently across from him.

"I um…" he faltered. "Ah… Dunhill wanted me to bring you this, he made it for you." he handed her the chalk board.

She smiled, taking the calk and jotted a message down, then held it up for him to see. Her writing was tall and bold, all capital letters.

THANK YOU. HE SAID HE WAS MAKING SOMETHING FOR ME.

"Yeah its… its no problem…" Neil felt like he should say more but the words just weren't coming.

She stared at him for a moment, then began writing again.

PLEASE DO NOT WORRY. I SEE YOU ARE SORRY. I AM FINE.

Maybe that's why she made Neil uncomfortable, she made up for the lack of talking with a clarity that scared him a little, he didn't like people seeing into him like that.

He stared at the words for a while, the last three burning into his mind. She was fine, she thought she was fine so why shouldn't Neil think that too? Just because she couldn't speak didn't mean she was suffering and pitiful, Neil was beginning to realize this. He cleared his throat.

"Dunhill said you liked music, would you like me to play something for you?"

Her eye's lit up brighter than he had ever seen and for the first time he noticed they were a bright fiery blue. In her excitement she forgot her tablet existed and just nodded vigorously at him.

"OK." He said, and he couldn't help but feel happy she was so excited.

He picked up the guitar and began strumming. The chords echoed around the walls of her small farmhouse and Neil felt relaxed, really relaxed. And before he knew it words were rolling out of his mouth effortlessly.

"Blackbird singing in the dead of night

Take these wings and learn to fly

All your life

You were only waiting for this moment to arise

Blackbird singing in the dead of night

Take these sunken eyes and learn to see

All your life

You were only waiting to be free

Blackbird fly…"

As the last notes hung in the air he felt suddenly embarrassed, but he could tell she had enjoyed it and that's what mattered. At least, with this, his conscience could be clear. He began to stand up to leave but before he could he found her tablet in front of his face with two small words on it that left him speechless.

TEACH ME.