Chapter Two:

It had felt nice to talk to someone else who was like me...someone else who was deaf. In my mind, I had found many similarities between Teddy and I. Besides being deaf, we had both come to be like that from an accident when we were younger, and we could both read lips and speak. He was becoming less scary to me, almost as if it was an act.

But the shock I had felt when Teddy's skin had met mine lingered in my mind, as did the look he first gave me when he saw me.

I shook my head and replied a text Hanna had sent me a few minutes ago. She was in one of her "moods" where she asked the most random question that popped into her mind, and she would hate me if I didn't answer every one of them.

Her next one surprised me. What'd u think of Mr. Hottie Goth?

I stared at the text before replying. I dunno.

! No no no, answer me with a He's hot and I like him or a Ew I wish he'd go away

I lingered for a moment. He seems nice, and I think we might be friends.

Shut up. U 2 would b perfect 2gether. I mean, ur both deaf and everything.

I rolled my eyes. Yes, because we're both deaf, we should be together. Might as well marry every deaf person in the world. I replied, Y don't u d8 him? I dropped my phone on the bed and laid back, closing my eyes. I kept one hand on my phone, so I would know when it buzzed again, because I couldn't hear it go off.

It vibrated. Nah. BUT U SHOULD!

Hey Han I gotta go...bye! I smiled and turned my phone off and closed my eyes again. I fell asleep like that, for once appreciated the endless quiet that was my life.

I sat down beside Teddy at the table and smiled. Someone in the front of the room yelled something, but I didn't know what. It was annoying, being deaf. I motioned to Gracie and mouthed, "What did he say?"

She wrote it down and passed the paper to me. It said, Look! The Soundless Ones!As I read, I felt Teddy's eyes on the piece of paper. I crumpled it up, hoping he hadn't had time to read it. I was wrong, of course. He nudged my shoulder and I turned to look at him.

"Soundless Ones? Who came up with that?"

I shrugged. "Not sure."

"Has it always been like that for you?"

I shook my head. "No. But this school hasn't had two deaf kids at once before. It'll die down eventually." I looked up again as a girl said something else, eyeing Teddy and me. I didn't even have to ask, because a slip of paper landed on my desk. I opened it.

Aledore. Alexandra and Theodore put together.

My cheeks flamed as Teddy looked over it. He sat back, uncomfortable. I crumpled this note, too, and shoved it in my pocket. I wanted to say something to Teddy, but I couldn't think of how to explain what people were saying.

But he touched my shoulder lightly. "I'm going to ignore them. Are you?"

I nodded. "Oh, yeah."

"This will get better?"

"I hope so."

He smiled and turned away. I noticed a hint of pink in his otherwise waxy complexion. I could still feel the heat in mine. I could feel Gracie's eyes on me, and I knew she felt guilty for not trying to hide the note from Teddy. I peeked at him through my eyes, and caught his eyes dash away from my face. I felt warmth spread through my body at the sight.

Mr. Hennings started speaking, slowly and clearly. Now, class, I am going to pair you up for your third quarter final project. You will each prepare a song-yes, a song-on a significant historical event. The songs will be recorded and presented to the class. Now, everyone come up, and I will give you two slips of paper. One will have your name on, and the other will have your partner's name on it. You will be expected to complete this project at home.

I stood up and walked with everyone else up to the desk. He gave me the two slips of paper. I made sure it was mine before I looked at the other.

Teddy.

I sighed. Figures. Not that I minded...

Teddy walked up to me, showing me his paper. "Hey, partner. Such luck, don't you think?"

I giggled. "Oh, yeah. Luck is surely involved in this." I recycled my papers and looked for Gracie. I found her at her desk, looking upset. "Who's your partner?" I asked.

She showed me her paper. Stupid Freddie Therman. How can I get an A with him?She mouthed. I patted her shoulder. Freddie Therman was someone who hadn't quite hit puberty yet, aside from his mounds of zits. I imaged he couldn't have a good voice.

At that moment, Freddie came over, slinging his arm around Gracie, who automatically lurched away from him. He said, Hi, Gracie. We're partners! Isn't it great? He looked at me and frowned. He made motions with his hands, saying words very slowly and clearly. Hello. Alexandra. My. Name. Is. Freddie. Gracie. Is. My. Partner. Can. You. Understand. Me?

I glared at him and slapped him across the face. "Bitch," I said. "I'm deaf, not stupid."

He shot me a dirty glance, his eyes saying "The deaf chick dared touch me?" Then Teddy walked over. Freddie smirked, doing the same thing to him as he had done to me. Teddy frowned angrily, his hand clenching into fists.

I read Teddy's lips as he said, "Fuck off, jackass. You don't want to mess with me."

Freddie pretended to be scared. Oh, I'm so scared.He looked at Gracie, who was glaring at him, her eyes filled with hate and anger. Deaf people are mean, aren't they?

Teddy lost it, and fist met face and Teddy punched Freddie. Yeah, deaf people are mean. But only when you mess with us. Mr. Hennings came over, and I was guessing he yelled at Teddy, but I didn't read his lips.

Then Gracie spoke. Freddie was making fun of Alex and Teddy because they're deaf, Mr. Hennings. I can imagine anyone would have punched him. Can I have a new partner?

Mr. Hennings shook his head and moved his eyes from Teddy to Freddie. Detention. Both of you. And Mr. Therman, if I hear of any more trouble, you will fail this quarter and have to make it up in summer school! And no, Miss McGillicough, you would not fail the project.

I smiled. Justice. Teddy got detention, but Freddie had been punished worse, threatened to be failed. I looked at Teddy, who was still glaring at Freddie, a glint of...what? Hate? Anger? Violence? In his eyes. I touched his shoulder gently.

"Come on. We gotta get to work, Teddy." He sighed and turned around.

"I hate people like that. Didn't mean to punch him, but it worked out pretty good, didn't it?"

I laughed. "I'd say so."

I ached to take his hand as I sat down at my desk. As it turned out, our fingers brushed, sending a white-hot sizzle up my arm.

At lunch, Teddy and I went to the cove again. The need to hold is hand had grown, making my fingers ache with pain as I resisted. I sat closer to him this time, wishing he would reach over and touch me again. Hanna was right; we were perfect for each other.

He didn't seem to mind how close I had sat to him. In fact, he had closed more distance between us. His hand was in his lap, twitching. I looked up into his face, and decided something inside of me. My hand shook as I reached over and clasped his hand in mine. I raised my eyes to his, and he was looking at me. His lips turned up in a small smile, which I returned.

"Is that okay?" I whispered. He read my lips and smiled wider.

"I was trying to work up the courage to do the same thing," he replied. I loved having an excuse to watch him speak, his full lips moving, forming words I couldn't hear. I squeezed his hand.

"What gave you the idea?"

"Well, I thought you were amazing the first day I saw you, but when I saw how red you looked after reading the note, you looked beautiful, but I didn't know how you would feel..." he used his thumb to caress my hand. It was cold, but also soft, and it felt nice.

"Now you know how I would feel. Thank you."

He looked puzzled. I sighed. "For six years, I've really only had my two friends, everyone else feeling sorry for the 'poor little girl who hit her head and went deaf' but you...you just seem to make me feel like there's a person in the world who actually cares."

I leaned and rested my head on his shoulder. I felt him nod. He pulled his hand out of my grasp and instead placed his arm around my waist, taking my hand with his other hand. I knew people could see us, but I didn't care. Let them spread the talk of Aledore, because right now it felt like the truth.

When I got home that night, my sister Valerie, who was a year younger than I was, went straight to my mom and whispered something. I waited for mom to say something. When she did, she was staring at me, a concerned look on her face.

Alexandra, Valerie is telling me you're in a relationship with a boy at school.

I shrugged. "I guess."

Does he know you're deaf? Boys always take advantage of girls like you.

I shot her a no-duh look. "Mom, Teddy's deaf, too."

She looked shocked. Well, I think I should meet this Teddy.

"Maybe you will. We're doing this project together that has to be done out of school. But don't embarrass me, okay?"

Just then, the radio light turned green, and I could tell it had turned on. But I didn't know what it was saying. I shut it off and walked upstairs.

As soon as I got into my room, I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. I opened a text message from Hanna.

! Y didn't u tell me u liked Teddy?

I sighed. Should have known. I texted back, Idk well it really justhappened.

She obviously didn't believe me. Well, Gracie and I are coming over now so you can explain EVERYTHING!

I groaned. I should have known that, too. Not that I didn't love Hanna and Gracie, but I really didn't want to explain anything. My phone buzzed again.

It was Gracie this time.

C u in a few, chica!

When Gracie and Hanna got there, they would barely let me say anything.

As soon as they got up to my room, they pushed me onto my bed and took turns "speaking" to me about "Alex's New Romance", as they were now calling it. Gracie took the first turn, practically bouncing up and down.

Okay, now tell us everything! How did it happen? You do not leave out a single detail, Mrs. Marwolaeth!She put her hands on my shoulder and shook me back and forth excitedly. I slapped her hands away and laughed.

"Don't call me that!"

Hanna spoke next. Come on, Alexandra Banana, tell tell tell us!

I smiled giddily. "Well, we were at lunch. His hand was shaking, so I reached over and took it. I asked him how he felt about it. He said he had wanted to do the exact same thing. Then he told me he thought I was amazing, and he put his arm around me and I put my head on his shoulder and we spent the rest of lunch like that. See? Not much to tell."

Aw, Alex, we're so so so happy for you! You guys look great together! Hanna sighed after she spoke.

Yeah. Have you guys kissed?

"No!"

I threw a pillow at Gracie as I spoke. This started a giant pillow fight between us, which was only stopped when Mom came in a received a pillow to the face, courtesy of me. Then I collapsed giggling, and Gracie and Hanna fell on top of me.

"Oh...kay...deaf...girl...can't...breathe!" I gasped between bursts of laughter.