Can't You Hear the Rain?
Summary: Kendall Knight was born deaf. Logan Mitchel is always by his side. Kogan AU.
"Talking"
"Signing"
Kendall Knight: born 7 pounds 8 ounces. He seemed like a normal newborn. But his mother and father knew right away that something was wrong. He wouldn't look over if they called his name, their neighbors barking dog didn't make him flinch, and he wouldn't react to their voices.
When they took him to the hospital, the doctor told them the news.
"Your son is deaf."
It came as quite a shock to the Knight family. Their only son, their pride and joy, couldn't hear.
"There are surgeries we can perform, but only once he's older." The doctor told them.
Jen Knight loved her baby boy with all her heart. She was willing to take care of him and love him as any other child.
But Mr. Knight couldn't… no… wouldn't take care of a 'disabled kid' as he referred to Kendall.
"No Jen! He's going to need special treatment! It's going to get expensive! We don't have the money!" Mr. Knight argued.
"But honey! He's our son!" Jen begged.
"No. I… he's a disabled kid." He stated, looking down at the baby. Kendall just looked up at his father and smiled.
So one night, he packed up and left. Leaving Jen and Kendall Knight behind.
Jen struggled with raising Kendall by herself. But she did a great job.
She taught him sign language, even whilst learning herself. She taught him everything he knew and he even was able to start Kindergarten in the fall.
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But the first day, kids weren't the nicest.
"Everyone this is Kendall Knight. He's a bit different than you all. He can't hear." The teacher told the class. "He has an interpreter, so you all can know what Kendall is saying."
Kendall stood next to his mother, an interpreter, and the teacher.
"Hi. I'm Kendall." Kendall signed.
"Kendall says hi." The man, Alex, interpreted.
"I'm gonna go. Have a good day sweetie." Jen kissed Kendall's head.
"Can you tell Kendall that he can sit here?" The teacher asked Alex.
"Sure." Alex turned to Kendall. "You can sit there."
"Okay. Thank you." Kendall signed back and walked over to the table.
"No you can't sit here!" A girl stated as Kendall pulled out his chair to sit. "You're weird!"
"What did she say?" Kendall asked.
"Nothing Kendall." Alex told him.
"What a freak!" One kid screamed.
"Why is he doing that with his hands! He should just talk like everyone else!" Another yelled.
"No tell me what they are saying!" Kendall demanded.
"It's nothing." Alex sighed.
More than once Kendall was hit in the head with paper balls and pencils.
"Ow!" Kendall signed and rubbed the back of his head as another pencil was thrown at him. "Alex! Make them stop!" Kendall begged.
"Okay" He signed and walked up to the teacher.
"Kids are throwing things at Kendall." Alex told her.
"That's awful. I'll try and fix things." She stated.
"Hey freak!" One yelled but Kendall just kept walking. "Hey I'm talking to you!" He grabbed Kendall's arm.
"Oh were you talking to me?" He asked with a smile.
"Why won't you talk like a normal kid!" The boy yelled.
"He can't!" Alex told him. "Come on Kendall. Let's go eat lunch in the classroom." The two went to the classroom.
As Kendall approached his seat he saw his notebook was covered with sharpie ink.
"Freak? Weirdo? Why are they calling me these things?" Kendall asked Alex with tears in his eyes.
"They just don't understand." Alex hugged him close.
Kendall didn't want to go back to school after that. Jen wished her son could have just one friend…
"I'm not going back to school. I won't!" Kendall told her.
"But Kendall…" Jen paused. "Just try? For mama?" She asked.
"Fine." Kendall gave in. The next few day of school gradually got better. Kendall learned to just ignore all the mean kids. Alex being by his side was nice.
But a few weeks later Alex suddenly had to move. And Kendall was without an interpreter.
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Then a new family moved in to the house next door to the Knights.
Robert and Joanna Mitchel, along with their 6 year old son.
"Hi, I'm Jen. And this is Kendall." She introduced herself to the family.
"Hello. I'm Robert and this is my wife, Joanna. And… Hortense, come say hi to Ms. Knight and her son." Mr. Mitchel told the boy.
"Nonononono…" The small boy stated and hid behind Joanna's legs.
"Now Hortense, you don't want to meet Kendall? He's your age." She told him.
He walked over to Jen and Kendall, who was still hiding behind his mother.
"Hi…" Hortense whispered. But Kendall still hid. "Why didn't he look at me?" He asked.
"Oh… Kendall is deaf." Jen told the boy.
"Deaf?" Hortense looked over to his mother.
"It means he can't hear." Joanna told him.
"Oh… why?" He asked.
"He was just born that way." Jen smiled and patted Kendall's head. "Kendall, this is Hortense. He's 6." She signed to him.
"Hortense?" Kendall asked her, signing his name back.
"Yes. Do you want to go play with him?" She asked.
"Yes." He signed then turned to Hortense. "Wanna play?" He asked.
"Yes please." Hortense signed back. Kendall smiled and took the other by the hand, and pulled him into the house.
"He knows how to sign?" Jen asked in shock.
"Yes. His cousin and aunt are both deaf." Joanna told her.
"It's been hard for Kendall. He has learned so much for a 5 year old." Jen smiled.
"Hortense knows some, but now I guess Kendall can teach him more." Robert stated.
Kendall led Hortense through the house to his playroom.
"And this is my playroom." Kendall signed to Hortense.
"Cool." Hortense smiled.
"Wanna color Hortense?" Kendall asked and grabbed a bin full of coloring books, markers, and crayons.
"Yes please. But Kendall… Call me Logan. I like my middle name better." He told Kendall.
"Okay. I like the name Logan." Kendall smiled. "I'll make you a sign name.* My mama said sign names are very important." Kendall told him.
"I know, my aunt and cousin both sign. They gave me a sign name to." Logan smiled and grabbed a coloring book.
"Oh. Okay." Kendall paused, deep in thought. He held up his hand, in the shape of an 'L' and placed it over his heart. "There. That's your sign name, because you have a special place in my heart. You're my first friend." Kendall told him.
"You're first friend?" Logan asked.
"Yeah. No one understand me, so they think I'm a freak." Kendall told him.
"That's awful." Logan reached over and hugged Kendall tight. "I'm always going to be your friend."
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Logan and Kendall went to the same school and so Logan tried to help Kendall with school as best he could.
But Logan was in 1st grade. And he had his own things to learn. But his teacher was nice enough to let him go to Kendall's class and interpret when Jen couldn't be there.
"Mrs. Wilson?" Logan knocked on the door. "Can I come in?" Logan asked.
"Sure." She nodded and waved at Kendall to get his attention. "Logan's here." She told him. That was all she knew how to say.
"Logan!" Kendall smiled big.
"Hey Kenny!" Logan smiled and hurried to the seat next to him.
"Hey look! It's freaks friend!" One laughed, causing the others to laugh.
"Shut up!" Logan stood and yelled to the younger boy. "Kendall is my best friend in the whole world! And he's not a freak!" Logan told the boy and signed what he was saying to Kendall as well.
"Thank you Logan." Mrs. Wilson walked over. "Jeff, time out. Now." She scolded.
"You're my best friend ever." Kendall told Logan.
"You're my best friend to." Logan smiled.
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"Wanna come over and watch a movie?" Kendall asked as they walked home from school one day.
"Sure. Is it okay with your mom?" Logan asked.
"My mom won't be home. She wanted to see if you could come over, and keep me company." Kendall smiled.
"Oh okay. I can." Logan nodded. They were at a crosswalk and Kendall was already off the curb. A car was speeding towards the two, the car horn blaring.
"Kendall!" Logan screamed and quickly grabbed Kendall's shirt collar, yanking him back.
They both landed on the sidewalk, on their butts, as the car sped by.
"Kendall! You almost got hit!" Logan had tears in his eyes.
"Don't cry Logan… I'm sorry. I didn't look both ways. Are you okay?" Kendall crawled over, on his knees, to Logan.
"Yeah. Just a little shaken up." Logan stated.
"I'm sorry." Kendall hugged him. "I'll be more careful."
They both stood and hurried to Kendall's house.
*I took sign language when I was in high school. And the teacher aid was a deaf girl. She gave us each a sign name. It was fun. We learned to communicate with her. :)