gfWelcome to chapter 21. This is a really sign heavy chapter, so make sure to check the key thingy I have explaining what things mean.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Marvel, Disney does. BTW I don't own Disney either. I also don't own Semi- Automatic by Twenty- One Pilots or Superheroes by The Script. (Basically the only thing I own are my awesome mismatched socks).
GUEST REVIEWER BELLA: Thank you so much for your review, you're not a Negative Nancy at all. Your comments have really made the issues you mentioned more apparent to me, and I really appreciate it. From now on, I'm going to focusing a bit less on those details and see how it goes. I don't think I did a very good job with that this chapter because it was already mostly finished when I got your review, but thank you so much, and I would love if you reviewed again with helpful comments. It's good constructive criticism.
Reminders:
"Speaking"
Sign Language
"Both"
f-i-n-g-e-r s-p-e-l-l-i-n-g (most names aren't done like this because of name signs).
Okay, meet with your partners for the last ten minutes to discuss what each of you are going to do over the break, Ms. Davis signed to the class. Clint got up from his seat, moving towards the section of the classroom where Chloe and Jef were sitting.
"So I," Chloe started.
Ms Davis suddenly appeared, Chloe sign only please.
Sorry Ms. Davis, she signed, blushing.
So I had an idea for what song we are going to do, there's this really good song called Heroes, and it's really slow so we shouldn't have a problem. Here I have the lyrics already and what each of you have to do, Chloe explained.
Wait, I thought this was a group project? Jef signed, butting in, What if we don't want to do that song.
Well, I already have it picked out, I just thought it could work, Chloe signed.
Well I had a song too, Jef signed, its really good.
C-l-i-n-t, what do you think? Chloe suddenly asked.
Clint, he signed absentmindedly.
What? Chloe asked.
Uh, Clint, it's my name sign, he explained.
Oh, ok, so what song do you think we should do? Jef asked.
Um, you said Heroes is slow right? Clint asked Chloe.
Yes, that's why I thought it would be good.
Well if it's too slow, Ms. Davis might take that into consideration when she grades us.
Okay, I guess we can do Jef's. What's it called? Chloe asked.
Semi Automatic by Twenty One Pilots, Jef told them.
Wait, don't they rap? Chloe asked.
Yes.
Well then we can't do that, we can't sign that fast.
I can, Clint told them. They looked at him.
Well, I can, Clint signed.
Okay, then let's do Semi Automatic, Chloe said with a smile. They continued discussing when to meet up during the break until Clint's watch vibrated, indicating that the bell had rung. Natasha was at his side in an instant.
What song is your group doing?
Semi Automatic by Twenty One Pilots. Will you help me?
Yes, but don't worry about that now, we have the entire break.
What is your group doing?
She just smirked and didn't give him an answer.
The entire break was actually pretty short. Two days later Chloe called. He rolled his eyes at his phone, and as always let it ring out. His voice mail was simple, she would quickly get the point. He got a text less than a minute later.
(CA is Chloe, CB is Clint, JD is Jef)
CA~ Hey
It's Chloe. With the project I was wondering if you two wanted to meet up before or after Christmas.
JD~ We have to meet up?
Y?
CA~ Well I just wanted to make sure that we are all in sync.
CB~ whenever's fine by me
JD~I guess before
My family leaves on the 27th
CA~ I leave on the 24th
CB~ the 23rd then
that work?
CA~ Yes
JD~ Ya
Not at my house tho
CA~ Well I'm not allowed to have boys over.
JD~ That's messed up
CA~ Well I'm not so
Clint, can we come over?
CB~ lemme check
ya
but Natasha's gunna be here
and you need a signed note from your parents
from 2-3?
JD~ Works for me
CA~ That's fine
CB~ address is # blank street
Chloe parked outside and sat in her car for a minute. Another car pulled up and Jef stepped out. Chloe got out and joined him.
"Clint's an orphan?" Jef asked her.
"I guess so," she said as she took a step forward and knocked on the door. A woman opened the door.
"Are you Chloe and Jef?" she asked.
"Yes," they answered.
"Can I see your notes?" They showed her their notes and were permitted inside.
"He's out back, just follow this hallway all the way down," she told them. They did as told and reached the small backyard. Their attention was quickly drawn to the group of kids playing, all trying to be the center of one boy's attention, Clint's attention.
"Clint," she called out, before mentally smacking herself, he was deaf, remember? Luckily the red head in their ASL class, Natasha, seemed to have heard her, and got Clint's attention. He said goodbye and went to join them.
"We cawn go enside," he told them.
"Have either of you worked on the song yet?" Chloe asked. The two boys shared a panicked look.
"A little bit," Jef said, "It's not perfect, but I have been practicing."
"Ya, I've ban pract'sing, just need to git the time ing down, but I thank I got it," Clint replied.
"Okay cool let's practice then," said Chloe. She got out her phone, tapping the right song. She let Clint hold it, the vibrations flowing through his hand, "We'll get the timing right before we actually start signing."
"Okay," Clint agreed easily, "I've luked at some leeric vidos, but Nat tells me tat mossed of tem don't git time ing right at ell." The three of them went through the song, writing down the times each of them started and stopped. Natasha sat on a chair, observing them work.
Soon enough they started signing along with the song. They still had to work out a few things, like how Jef's signs weren't clear, and how Clint forgot a few lines, and that Chloe's signing was closer to Signed English (SE) than ASL. They figured it out though, and it seemed to turn out well. Of course, it wasn't perfect, but it was good. Clint's faster signing definitely gave them an edge.
By the time they were done, they had plenty of leftover time, so Clint took to convincing Natasha to show them her song.
"C'mon Tash, wheel love it. Pleeeeeease?" he begged. She just shook her head.
"Cawn 'ou at lest tell me what swong yer doing?" he asked.
She smiled, "Nope."
"Not feir, we did ows, yer torn," Clint complained. She rolled her eyes, but complied anyways. She got out her phone, bringing up her song, and began to sign, looking directly at Clint.
All her life she has seen
All the meanest side of me
They took away the prophet's dream for a profit on the street
Now she's stronger than you know
A heart of steel starts to grow
Her signs were crisp and concise, conveying the feeling of the song. The sound of the music wasn't heard, but seen. Could she be describing herself?
All his life he's been told
He'll be nothing when he's old
All the kicks and all the blows
He won't ever let it show
'Cause he's stronger than you know
A heart of steel starts to grow
Clint took in a breath. If he thought she was talking about herself, now he was sure he was wrong. She was signing about herself, but about them.
When you've been fighting for it all your life
You've been struggling to make things right
That's how a superhero learns to fly
(Every day, every hour
Turn the pain into power)
They definitely used that pain more than once. Yes, pain had dragged them done on more than one occasion, but they used it. They used it to become Natasha and Clint and Clint and Natasha.
When you've been fighting for it all your life
You've been working every day and night
That's how a superhero learns to fly
(Every day, every hour
Turn the pain into power)
All the hurt, all the lies
All the tears that they cry
When the moment is just right
You see fire in their eyes
They both knew that they both had that animalistic glint in their eyes, that fire that had been placed there by their experiences. Their abuse (his physical and mental, hers sexual and now physical).
'Cause he's stronger than you know
A heart of steel starts to grow
When you've been fighting for it all your life
You've been struggling to make things right
That's how a superhero learns to fly
Every day, every hour
Turn the pain into power
Clint always wanted to fly, fly away from his Dad, from his Mom, even from Barney. Natasha helped him learn.
When you've been fighting for it all your life
You've been working every day and night
That's how a superhero learns to fly
(Every day, every hour
Turn the pain into power)
(Power, power, power, power, power)
(Power, power, power, power, power)
(Every day, every hour
Turn the pain into power)
(Power, power, power, power, power)
(Power, power, power, power, power)
(Every day, every hour
Turn the pain into power)
She's got lions in her heart
A fire in her soul
He's got a beast in his belly
That's so hard to control
'Cause they've taken too much hits
Taking blow by blow
Now light a match, stand back, watch them explode
She's got lions in her heart
A fire in her soul
He's got a beast in his belly
That's so hard to control
'Cause they've taken too much hits
Taking blow by blow
Now light a match, stand back, watch them explode, explode, explode, explode
Only they knew about this fear that each other had. Natasha feared those lions, that fire, she feared that one day she would explode and harm everyone she loved. She says love is for children, and even if she's not one mentally, she still is the age of one. Clint feared that beast, the beast that his dad had, that Barney had, the one he knew he had. He knew the percentages, the chances, the possibility, the likely possibility, that he would one day be exactly like them. He feared that day. Natasha said that day he feared would never come. Clint said that day she feared would never come. They just had to trust each other in the meantime.
When you've been fighting for it all your life
You've been struggling to make things right
That's how a superhero learns to fly
(Every day, every hour
Turn the pain into power)
When you've been fighting for it all your life
You've been working every day and night
That's how a superhero learns to fly
(Every day, every hour
Turn the pain into power)
(Power, power, power, power, power)
Oh, yeah...
(Power, power, power, power, power)
(Every day, every hour
Turn the pain into power)
(Power, power, power, power, power)
(Power, power, power, power, power)
Ooh, yeah
Whoa
(Every day, every hour
Turn the pain into power)
When you've been fighting for it all your life
You've been struggling to make things right
That's how a superhero learns to fly
Both Natasha and Clint were sprung out of their thoughts as Chloe and Jef congratulated her, commenting on how good it was. She smiled and thanked them. Only Clint saw the pain in her eyes, covered by a small glint of hope.
I got this idea from my friend who's in ASL 3, I got to videotape for her. (In this story they are presenting their songs in class not on video). This is a project they apparently do every year around winter break, and at open house they played her video and I'm really proud of her because she chose a really fast paced song (not Semi- Automatic, but still), and has only been signing for three years (Which may seem like a while, but it's a high school class).
As always, thanks for reading and I love feedback, so please review. and favorite. and follow. You get the idea.
I've also started a new series of one shots for J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. It focuses around the idea that Teddy Lupin is genderfluid. It's called Variable. It would be awesome if you checked it out.
Last thing, I'm still in school and have finals, and I'm craving summer, so what is your favorite part about summer?