A/N- Yay, a new story :) Um... *Thinks of something brilliant to introduce the story with* This was inspired by a plot bunny. So I decided to write it. That's really about it.

E/N- No, it's not! What about me?

A/N- Right. And my editor, Moonflower121, is here and being awesome and editing and making my awesome story even more awesome~ :)

E/N- Enjoy the story! It's awesome!

A/N- ...Sure. (*_*)

Rin is deaf in this one, so things she 'hears by reading lips "Are in italics in quotation marks" Normal speech is just... "Formatted as normal speech". Anything written down Is in italics and other random words with emphasis put on the are also in italics.

Chapter One- Hearing Nothing

The teacher scribbled something onto the board in chalk. I could see it written there, but I couldn't hear her explanation of the problem. Not the conversations that were probably going on all around me (I could see their lips moving). Nothing. I could imagine how they probably sound, how they should sound, but the noises stop somewhere between the outside world and mymind. I'm technically deaf, except that sometimes I think I can, maybe, hear something that sounds vaguely like... Noise. Static, a crowd screaming, useless and unidentifiable noise. Or maybe it's just my imagination. Stupid Rin.

I pulled my fingers through my short, tangled blonde hair and copied down what the teacher wrote on the board, but as I couldn't hear a word she was saying, it seemed fairly pointless. I could usually read lips pretty well, but she was facing the board most of the time, either writing or erasing, so being able to read her lips isn't much help either.

"Subtract... then you..." That was all I could gather before the fast-talking woman turned back to the board to explain another example. I decided to just give up, it wasn't like I was making much headway with my education anyways, given my... interesting situation. I turned to look out the window, losing myself in thought as I stared blankly at the cherry-blossom tree just outside.

By the time my thoughts were drawn back to the present, I could sense the movement of everyone around me packing up their belongings, and I mutely followed suit. I put my mostly-blank page of notes back into my bag, and was just pushing my chair in when I felt someone tap my shoulder. I whirled around, finding no one there. I looked in the other direction, and saw a few girls standing there, about three. Not that I really cared how many there were. The girl in the front of the group, who had long, wavy teal hair in pigtails, was talking quickly, so I only caught bits and pieces of what she said.

"... Stupid?... Can't you hear?... not normal... Freak." I looked down, knowing from what little I had understood that they weren't exactly complimenting me, and decided I didn't even want to try to decipher what they were saying.

"Can't you just leave me alone?" I asked, carefully measuring the volume of words I couldn't hear myself speak. It's always hard to tell if I'm screaming or whispering.

"...Wants us... leave alone." I could tell just from the girl's word choice that she was mocking me. It was nothing new, though. I was used to it, after nearly two years of not being able to hear. The girls left a few moments later, and I continued where I'd left off with my preparation to do the same. I was so lost in my own thoughts, I didn't even realize there was someone standing in the doorway until I bumped... right... into... him. I jumped back, and looked in front of me, moving my gaze upwards from the floor.

"I'm sorry..." I said, looking towards his mouth to see his reply.

"No problem... Do you know where... find Rin Kagamine?" I pieced together the words to make out that he was looking for me. From what I could tell, at least.

"That's me, yeah." I assumed I'd pronounced something weird, because he looked at me questioningly. Well, it couldn't be helped sometimes- It was hard to remember what words were supposed to sound like, and how to make those sounds, after so long. "Is there a problem?" I asked after a moment, when I still received no reply.

"No... Looking for you... Supposed to... New tutor?" Huh. I didn't know I was apparently going to have a tutor. And he only looked a year, maybe two, older than me. It then occurred to me that he was also wearing a school uniform, so of course he was only a little older, if he went to the school as well. Really smart.

"Why do I need a tutor, though?" The boy sighed. Or, Rin assumed he did. His chest rose and fell much slower and more exaggeratedly than a normal breath.

"According... Teachers... Your grades... low, need help... Come to the library after school...Okay?" I nodded, getting at least the general idea of his words. I didn't trust my voice any more, I could tell he already suspected there was something wrong with me, beyond just that I needed tutoring for my appallingly low grades.

"Ok. Well... I'm going to lunch now...I'll see you after school?" It was only after the boy walked away that I realized I hadn't asked for his name. Or maybe he'd told me and I just hadn't caught it...? Either way, I still had no idea who he was. I exited the classroom and made my way to the bench I sat at every day, welcoming the solitude that surrounded me.

I'd 'forgotten' my lunch (well, I'd "conveniently forgotten" it every day so far this school year), so I just sat and looked around, enjoying the wind in my hair. I wished I could hear the birds that were probably chirping, the wind, even things like the cars passing on a nearby road. Things you wouldn't thing anyone could miss, but somehow I do. I guess if I could hear them, even I wouldn't think it was a possibility to miss them.

After what seemed about a half-hour, I stood up from the bench I was sitting on, and started heading to my next class. I could tell I was a little early, but it was better to be early than to be late and have to try to explain myself to the teacher, and the whole class, and try to 'listen' to both the teacher scolding me and the students talking among themselves. I'd already been late to class to the point that if I was late again, I'd get sent to the principal, and get a note home... And a note home was almost as bad as assembling a firing squad for me. So I made sure I wasn't late.

I didn't even try to take notes in this class, history, because I had to either be writing or 'listening'- And I couldn't do both at once. So I tried listening. I made out maybe 1/3 of the words, but assumed I was misinterpreting most of them anyway, since I was pretty sure we weren't talking about laundry... I gave up after a while, and my eyes moved to my paper. I absently drew a butterfly on the corner of my blank paper, then a flower... Before I knew it, my paper was covered in doodles, I'd wasted another class period, and it was time for my last class of the day.

Throughout my entire lecture in history class, I was staring into space, thinking about the mysterious tutor I had been assigned. I mean, who would care enough about me to hire me help? A tutor must be expensive, and I don't know anyone willing to pay that much for my education. At least, no one at home.

I continued to wonder at the unexpected incident earlier. The bot seemed to mean well, but he had an air about him said "I am an upperclassman and you are not," but I could be mistaken. I often misinterpreted characteristics since my loss of hearing.

I was awoken out of my stupor by the sudden movement of a multitude of student bodies and backpacks. The bel had rung. Time for my tutoring session.

A/N- Remember, reviews are author food! And I don't want to starve :)