Emmett's POV
I was lying in bed looking at my wall of bay. Today was probably the best day of my life in a while. I small smile creeps onto my face. I go over and grab the pictures I printed and go to my wall. I hang up my favorite ones of bay. I look at the last one we took. It's Bay and me sitting under the tree and her head was on my shoulder and we both had huge smiles. Her eyes glowed in the sun as I looked down at her. It was funny how such a good day started with Bay needing surgery. But I wasn't a fool. I knew it hurt more than she was letting on. There were times when I would look over and see her holding her side. Times when I would see pain invade her eyes. I look at my other pictures of Bay. I pull out some of the old ones and look at them. I look at the ones from the day we went to look for the car. Before we even started dating. The memory makes me smile.
-flashback-
I pull up in front of Bay's school and see her sitting on a small wall. I laugh when I see her feet don't touch the ground. She was so short and cute. She gets up when she notices me and walks over. I see her say something. I assume it was hey so I wave.
"What are you doing here?" I smile and pull out the address I found of where the car was. She reads it and smiles
"No way! You- able to read- parking sticker?" I couldn't pick up everything she said. But then again I never could.
"The address where my dads car is! How did you get this!" I pointed to the picture of the license plate and her face lit up. Then she looked sort of embarrassed and her cheeks turned a slight shade of pink.
"Oh the license plate number. I guess that's- than- sticker. I had that picture for weeks and I never once, thought, of doing that. You're a genius." I shrug and do an I know gesture.
"How do you say thank you in sign language?" I smiled at her question and showed her. I smiled even wider when she repeated it back to me. I see her self cautiously fix her hair then she started to ramble.
"Okay. So this is where- car was last year, maybe- still there- and maybe if we find the car we could trace the- all the way back to my dad!" The whole time I am nodding and agreeing with her. I held out the extra helmet I always had.
"Oh you want to go now." I shrug again and mouth why not. She anxiously looked around and then back at me.
"What the hell! Here." She hands me back the paper and I put it in my pocket. It feels like electricity runs through me as she got on my bike. Her arms tentatively wrapping around my waist. I loved the feeling. I drove off and saw a few students stare at her, probably wondering who I was and where Bay was going in the middle of the day. When I turn I feel Bay hold me tighter. I smile. The drive was longer than I expected and we had to stop for gas after about a half hour. I feel her get up and slowly unwrap her arms from around me. We argue over who is going to pay for the gas and eventually I convince her to let me pay. I turn and see her sitting on the back of the bike. I watched as she played with her hair and picked at her uniform. I pulled out my camera and took a picture of her with a small strand of hair in one hand looking to the side. She looked up.
"What are you doing?" She asked with a smile. I mouthed and signed as she looked.
"I take pictures of everything.
"
"Even if it's just me bored." yes because even bored you look beautiful.
"Yeah." She snickered and now seemed very aware of everything I did. I took the gas pump out and turned to see Bay now standing, flattening the skirt to her uniform.
"What?"
"Nothing. You ready?" I saw pink invade her cheeks. I nod and get on and feel her immediately follow suit and wrap her arms around me again. This time a little tighter. We take off and after what seemed like 5 minutes we show up at the place and look around at piles and piles of cars. I feel her get up almost as soon as the bike stops. I take off my helmet and look at her slam hers onto the seat. I get up and reach my hand out in a 'come on' gesture and she just holds her arms up at me.
"What for? We'll never find the car in there! And even if we do, what good would it do us?
"Let's just go and see what's in there." I sign eagerly. She just looks confused.
"I hope that's sign language for 'because there's a wizard in there that will make all your dreams come true'." I shake my head and put my hand out and her. She hesitates then finally puts her hand with mine and I feel like sparks fly as our hands touch. I drag her along as we walk into a row of empty space that is quite narrow. Our arms touch in the small space as we walk. Suddenly it gets narrower and there are things on he ground ahead of us. She takes her hand out of mine and walks forward, careful not to trip. Then it gets wider and I rejoin her by her side. She then points in front of her an says something. I follow her eyes and see the license plate from the picture in front of us. She walks up to it and opens the unlocked door and climbs in. She starts to open things and look all around and after a minute comes out and looks around. I see her say something but she isn't looking at me so I can't make it out. Out of no where she kicks the car I frustration. I go up closer to her and she starts to rant. I look close and actually catch most of it.
"I don't know what I- thinking. That we drive up to my dad's house and- throws open his arms and is- there you are! I've - waiting for you- 16 years." After a while she pauses and looks at me.
"I'm sorry." What did she have to be sorry for? She looks at me and I look into her eyes.
"You know what's amazing? You. Are the best listener I know." At that I smile and look down. Then back at her. If that was the case then she must know a lot of jerks. I walk up to her and she leans into the side of the car and takes out a guitar pick.
"I guess someone played guitar." She said mirroring my thoughts. I take a picture of the guitar and her hand than something clicks in my brain and I put the camera in my bag and start to sign at a normal pace and then Bay holds up her hands.
"Wow dude, slow down, you might as well be speaking Russian." I stop and sign slower. She repeated everything I sign out loud.
"Daphne." "Daphne."
"Me." "You."
"Were little." Were short?"
"No. Little." I say exaggerating a movement that looked like little instead of the sign itself.
"You were kids! You were kids!" I point yes at her.
"We found a guitar case." "You found a guitar. You op- you opened a guitar case!" I point at her again to let her know she is right.
"We didn't see a guitar. We saw pictures." "you saw- you didn't see a guitar. This- most rocking - charades ever! Sorry- keep going! " I laugh at her last statement and skip the part about pictures and continue.
"Regina walked in." "Someone walked in." I sign Regina again. TheN mother. She said what I kept signing.
"R. R. My R. Regina! Regina walked in and saw you guys!" I did a motion like I was ripping my face off.
"And freaked out! Then what happened?" I shrug and mouth I don't know.
"What! No! Come one! You don't know anything else! You can't guess or something come on! More information!" She said while doing exaggerated arm motions like more. I make like I'm pulling something away.
"She took, the guitar case, away." She paused and then got an idea sort of face.
"Okay. So maybe the guitar case, is my dad's. And maybe. The stuff inside could help me find him."
"Maybe it's in my garage." "you can drive. And open things? Oh! Garage! Your, your garage!"
"Regina." "Okay, Regina."
"Boxes.
" "Boxes. She has boxes! In your garage!" I point at her like earlier and she looks really happy.
"Maybe- guitar case is in there! Can we go look?! Now?" I make a gesture like I'm pushing something to the side.
"Tomorrow?" I nod yeah and she smiles again.
"It's a date!" I smile and do a thumbs up sign. She smiles too. I was a bit taken back by her choice of words. A date. Could she know I liked her? Did she like me? No. she's still all hung up on Ty. Isn't she? We walk back to the bike and take some pictures and I drive her back to Buckner, since school would just be getting out. She gets off my bike and waves good bye. I do too and smile as she walks to Toby's car.
-end of flashback-
I look back at those pictures that were now in my hand. Bay. She was perfect. I hang all the picture back up and then the ones from today catch my eye. I smile. I hope she is doing okay.
Bay's POV
I was standing in my studio looking at the box in the corner. The box of Emmett. I labeled it old paint so people wouldn't question it. But I knew on the inside was truly everything to do with him. Pictures and letters, and gifts. Everything. It was very much like the guitar case. I remember that day. When I found out Regina knew. I went to the only person who would understand. Emmett.
-flashback-
I pulled up to his house and went up and rang the door bell. Emmett came to the door and looked at me with worried eyes. He knew I had been crying. I probably still was.
"Bay! What's wrong?" I couldn't handle it. I put my head on his shoulder and he led me to his room. I delved into the whole story.
"She knew. Regina knew about the switch. And she just shut her eyes like I didn't even exists. Like it was more important not to risk losing Daphne than to even try, and get me." Emmett was holding his hands up asking me to slow down.
"No! okay! I don't want to slow down! I want to say what I need to say! But I can't sign, and you can't hear. I don't even know what I'm doing here! And. This isn't gonna work out!" I turn to leave when suddenly he grabbed my wrist and I turn around to see him. The tears are already pouring down my cheeks. He mouths it's okay and I give in. I collapse into him and cry on his shoulder. He holds me tight and rubs my back and I feel myself calming down. He always relaxed me when I was sad or angry. He was always there.
-end of flashback-
He was always there. Even now. That thought reminds me of my side and the pain. It still really hurt. I think about today. Aside from the surgery itself, today was fun. And aside from Kyle. Then I realize something. I have to see Kyle at school tomorrow.
End of chapter 14