Thank you all for the support.
Bold is sign just to let you know. Also with the ASL, I've been taking classes and as of now I'm in ASL 3. I wrote everything in English. If I wrote the direct translations of ASL to English it would be something like this.
English: "How are you? I'm good. What's your name?"
ASL: "How you? I good. You name what?"
So, I wrote it in English for a better flow. Now, I have read some stories about Deaf characters and I'm always disappointed with that people write. The character is always embarrass of their Deafness and they never know sign and use writing to communicate. Zuri is Deaf and she was raised in the Deaf community because of this she will be using Sign as her main source of communication. She is also unapologetically Deaf and proud of it.
Enjoy.
2
Zuri Swan nervously ruffled her hair. Her phone was clutched tightly in her palm. Her father had set it up to go off for every alarm. This school wouldn't be as assessable as her last school was and she was already dreading the day. Her hearing aids were in her ears, and while they could help her, it was just an expensive amplifier. Words still got distorted, still got lost. Her lip reading was terrible and she could already feel the long day weigh on her. With a deep breath she entered the new school. Her schedule told her that she would have math first and she felt happy with that. Math was easy for her. It was her strongest point. She ignored the busy bodies around her, it all sounded like rushing and background noise. She entered the class and handed the teacher her note. He was an older man, with balding, white hair, his rounded belly. He wore a white button up and plain khakis, he wore a suspender belt and the loops over his shoulders were yellow measuring tape which she found to be humorous. His grey eyes scanned over the note.
"Thank you. You may sit here in the front. I saved you a seat." He shouted and moved his mouth wide. Zuri wanted to snort. She had her hearing aids in and this close she could hear him, but with his mouth moving so far apart it was a bit harder to catch on. She sat in the front and people began to pile in. She stared around the small classroom. Inspirational posters and books shelves covered the room. All the desks were set up in rows which she never experienced before. At her old school it was a half circle and the teacher taught in the middle so everyone could see. She felt someone touch her shoulder and she looked up to see an Asain boy.
His mouth was moving too quick for her to get a good read and there was too much background noise for her hearing aids to pick up. She gave him the blank stare that she gave most hearing people. She could only hear snippets of what he was saying. Something about new and beer? Or maybe it was here? She gave him a sheepish look and tucked her hair behind her ear to show him her hot, pink hearing aids.
"Sorry. I can't hear you very well." She told him and his face does that expression whenever she tells someone she's Deaf. It was a mix of anxiousness, pity, and uneasiness. Most people didn't know how to respond and practically everyone she's met that was hearing didn't really know Sign.
"Sorry." He said louder and then awkwardly sat in his seat and turned away from her. She frowned lightly. This was another reaction. Some people just didn't want to deal with her or find a solution. She ignored the slight hurt and turned to face the front.
"Alright, last where we left off was at…..and….the theory….." Mr. Hansen turned away from the front to face the board. Zuri sunk into her seat a bit. Normally she would speak out, her Deaf Pride that her father and Ella instill in her lashing out, but the new school had boosted her insecurities and she just wished that the say her Interpreter came would make everything easier. Since she couldn't really learn she dug through her shoulder bag and pulled out her thin note book. Zuri was no artist. She couldn't draw to save her life, but what she could do was write. Preferably poetry. So she stared out the window for inspiration and stared at her blank lined paper. Today would be a very long day. She didn't know how long she had done this, but soon she felt her phone buzz in her pocket and three seconds later everyone was packing there things. This must be the end of first period. She quickly gathered her things and shot out of class, but she bumped into what felt like a wall. Her two books in her arms fell to the ground and knelt down to pick up her book. She felt a cold finger her shoulder and she wiped around to see a very handsome man handing her text book at her. His mouth was moving.
"Sorry, I bumped into you." He had pretty features, a square jaw, unblemished and cleanly shaven, his cheek bones were high and he had a thin mouth. He had a copper red hair that messily laid on his head, his eyes were kind and golden. Zuri had never met anyone so pretty.
"Thank you." Zuri smiled and she left her pocket vibrate once more. She took her book. "I have to go." And gave him a short wave before going to her next class
-x-
"Edward," Alice called out to her brother. The mind reader turned to his sister. "Who was that?" Alice's pretty features were twisted in confusion.
"The new student. Zuri Swan, she's Deaf apparently. She made Eric rather uncomfortable. He didn't know how to respond to it." Edward mused as he followed his sister into the math class that Zuri had just left.
"She smells pretty." Alice said quietly and Edward hummed his agreement as they took their seats. She did smell pretty. It wasn't in an appetizing way either. People had different smells. Some smelt savory, other spicy and even sweet. There was always a layering smell of what products people used, but the blood always smelt different and louder than that. Zuri Swan just smelt of flowers and citrus. There was no layer of blood he could smell. He couldn't detect a sweetness or spicy flare. There was no savory aroma that wafted from her being. She just smelled fresh. Like stepping into a garden. "What was she thinking?" Alice asked. Edward frowned lightly. He didn't really read her mind when he was handing her books to her. He was distracted by her smell. Edward scanned the school for Zuri's thoughts, but came up with nothing. As if she wasn't even there. He prodded other minds and then could hear the history teacher Mrs. Hunt worrying over her teaching skills and if they could help her new Deaf student.
"I can't read her." Edward murmured confused and Alice's eyes shot to him curiously. "I can hear everyone, but her."
"That's new." Alice smiled She pondered over the pretty girl. "Let's see what her future looks like." Alice's face relaxed and Edward could spot her vision in her mind swimming before clearing. Zuri was in history class, she seemed bored. Her face suddenly scrunched in pain and she touched her forehead. Her hazel eyes darted around the room and Edward flinched back when her eyes landed on them. Her face twisted angrily and then there was darkness. There was a loud crash and a high pitch keening sound. Edward jerked away as Alice crashed to the floor, her body seizing. Her back arched, golden eyes had become white, her fingers were scraping against the ground as her body was losing control. There was commotion everyone was freaking out and Edward flew to his sister's side.
"Alice." He asked urgently, but Alice was dead to the world as her body twisted in pain. He gathered her in his arm, fighting her flaying arms. He couldn't read Alice's mind. Just blankness.
"Mr. Cullen, please." Mr. Hansen stammered. "Let me call the paramedics." That wouldn't do. If they tried to feel or hear for a pulse, there would be nothing.
"I need to take her to my father." Edward lifted her up and left the class, ignoring the calls from his teacher. He spoke quietly, but knowing his siblings would hear. "Meet me in front of the car. Alice is hurt." After those words and making sure no human was around he zipped towards the car. He could hear the anxious thoughts of his coven mates. Jasper's thoughts the loudest. By now, Alice's twisting body had calmed, but she laid motionless in his arms, staring at nothing.
"Alice," Jasper breathed out and he took his little wife from Edward's arms. "What happened?" There was an underlying fury in Jasper's tone and Edward could hear the dark thoughts of who had hurt his love. He could hear Rosalie's and Emmet's equal anger at the injury of their sister.
"I don't know, but we must speak with Carlisle. Rosalie and Emmett drive home so people aren't suspicious. I'll call Carlisle and Jasper run home to meet us there." All siblings were gone in a blink and Edward fished out his phone to call his father.
He could still see the angry expression on Zuri Swan's face when she looked at them through the vision.
-x-
Zuri was thankful that her day was almost over. Two more classes and it was done and she could go home. She was having a slight migraine during second period, it was a strong ache at the middle of her head. She had looked around the room feeling a heavy sense of pressure around her. When her eyes landed on the general area of uneasiness she squashed the pain in her mind unforgivingly. It had disappeared and she was left feeling metaling sore. She didn't know why it happened, but she got like this every now and then.
With a sigh, she sat alone at her table and took out her lunch. A plain PB & J sandwich and began to eat. She felt a thump on her table and looked up before brightening.
"Diane!" She signed happily. Diane Huggins was a Deaf student at her previous school. She was moderately Deaf in both ears, but she was born from a hearing father and Deaf mother.
"Zuri!" Diane sat next to her, her cocoa eyes bright. "I think we are the only Deaf people here. I thought for sure I would be the only one here." Zuri nodded her head.
"I felt the same. I'm so happy you're here too!" Zuri grinned and Diane took a seat next to her. Diane is a pretty girl with dark caramel skin, she had wide nose and full lips, her eyes were round like dinner plates with long lashes. She kept her hair natural, thick and volumous with curls that would not be tame. She was tall and leggy with wide hips and a big bust. Zuri would feel a streak of jealousy whenever she was with Diane. She had a lovely body. Zuri was pear shape to Diane's hour glass. She had wide hips, thick thighs and calves, her breasts were small, barely a handful and Zuri wished they were just a bit bigger.
"Did you know what happened?" Diane pulled out her own sandwich and took a bite out of it.
"What?" Zuri eyed the people who were staring in their direction. People were always curious about Sign, but they were never really dedicated to learn.
"I heard that some popular person had a seizure in class." Diane eyes flickered to an empty table. "Apparently the whole family was perfect. They're new. Just came a year ago, but from what people are saying they're a bit snobbish."
"Forks is too small for its own good. All this town ever does is gossip." Zuri rolled her eyes and she could feel her phone vibrate signaling the end of her lunch. From the corner of her eyes she could see Diane pull her phone out too.
"See you later." Diane waved and Zuri collected her own things and left the lunchroom for class.
-x-
Alice Cullen was comatose. Edward couldn't hear a thing from his normally annoying sister. Her thoughts were a blank slate. Jasper was worriedly pace the couple's bedroom. Edward could hear the frantic thoughts of his family.
"All she did was try to see into someone's future?" Their patriarch asked, his cold hand smoothing over his daughter's forehead.
"That's all." Edward agreed. "It was strange though. Whoever she is; it was like she knew Alice was watching. She looked in our direction before Alice became like this." Rosalie's lip curled into a sneer.
"Whoever she is; she's not human." She snarled, furious at the creature that had hurt her coven sister.
"Who is she?" Jasper croaked, his eyes darkened into ink.
"Let's not do anything rash." Esme advised.
"Esme is right. We don't know what ever this is can do." Emmett voiced.
"Jasper?" Alice suddenly groaned and the southern vampire flew to his mate's side and help her hand. "It was so lovely Jasper." Alice babbled. "I think you would like it."
"Alice can you hear me?" Jasper spoke softly. Alice opened her eyes and the family was startled at the human brown eyes that stared back at them.
"Jasper," She moved to touch him, but Jasper flinched back at the human eyes that Alice fluttered at him. Slowly the eyes bled into the familiar gold color.
"What was that?" Rosalie demanded. "What happened to her eyes?" Rosalie questions weren't answered. Carlisle knelt next to Alice.
"What do you remember?" He asked her and Alice was still groggy.
"It was beautiful. So full of sunshine and fruits. I ate so many. They told me to stay and I wanted to. It was so nice there, but I remembered Jasper and I wanted him to come." Alice rubbed her eyes and some clarity started to come back to her. "They got angry at me though. They said Jasper couldn't come and I knew I had to leave. I had to stop eating the fruits." Alice mumbled.
"Who Alice?" Alice's brow furrowed in confusion before shooting up her forehead in surprise.
"I remember!" Alice grinned widely suddenly. She turned to Edward.
"I know what she is Edward! Oh it's so lovely. She's so lovely! I never even knew they existed!" Alice was out of the bed and thrumming with excitement.
-x-
Since her father wasn't home, Zuri and Diane escaped to the forest nearby, but Forks were surrounded by forests so it wasn't hard to find one. It was also better that Diane knew how to drive. They drove a little out of the way and hiked a bit, but they found a nice field. Diane had grinned she dug through her bag and held up a plastic baggy to reveal a joint.
"Wanna smoke?" She offered and Zuri couldn't stop the grin from forming on her face.
"Yes!" The two teenagers eagerly made a spot for themselves against a fallen tree. Zuri watched as Diane lit the joint, blowing softly at the end to ignite the rolling paper. When it was properly lit, the two girls began to pass the joint between the two. Zuri knew that if her father caught her smoking weed he would rain holy terror on her. He was so protective and he didn't like her drinking underage and especially smoking pot. There was a time when she was fourteen and her Dad busted a party only to find her there drunk and out of her mind. Oh, she was in so much shit. He had woken her up early that morning hung over and made her run laps around the neighborhood and clean the house afterwards. That experience alone was enough to ward her off alcohol, but pot, well that was a different story. She liked the way being high made her feel. It was a floaty feeling and she felt invincible.
"Zuri," Diane signed, her eyes hooded and red around the rims. "Do it. Do your little magic dance." Zuri laughed and stood up. She felt like she had no legs. She kicked off her shoes and socks and wiggled her toes against the wet grass. She liked the way they felt. Feeling so close to nature. She moved to the center and lifted arms above her head and began to dance.
-x-
The Cullen family watched as the two girl got high. Edward could hear his father's and mother's disapproving thoughts. Alice was thrumming with excitement. Edward rolled his eyes and turned back to the Asian mixed girl as she stood up. She took her shoes off and lifted her arms. The forest suddenly became quiet. The trees stopped moving, the birds stopped singing. Edward has never heard the wilderness become so silent before. Then—she danced.
Her dancing in general was nothing to be in awed about. If anything her movements were slow and jerky. She had no rhythm, but what was awe inspiring was that every time she lifted her foot and placed it on the grass; flowers bloomed. She left a trail of wild flowers growing as she moved around the meadow.
"What is she?" Rosalie breathed. She had never seen anything so beautiful.
"She's a faerie." Alice smiled. "Well, half."
Review? Yap, she's a faerie. I was jumping from ideas. She was very close to being a witch, but I feel like there's so much Twilight stories with witches. I decided to make her a faerie. If shifters, vampires, witches, and werewolves. Why not the Fey?