Thanks to deandino92 for the favorite.

Clark tells me, after I finish breakfast, that he has a friend he wants me to see.

I cock my head, like how Bruno would do, then ask why.

"You should be going to school soon and I'll need to provide an explanation for the teachers about...Well, you know."

I forcefully exhale then move my right hand in a circle around me.

"Yes, those two things."

I go back to the bedroom then get my things and put them where I usually do.

Is this friend of his going to be able to tell us why I have my silence and field of it? I've always wondered about those two things.

Wait, I don't have any shoes.

Won't I need to wear some and socks to her place? What am I going to do?

I open the closet on a whim.

I mouth an Oh on seeing something that's inside.

I bet those are new. He must have gotten them for me while I was asleep.

I pull out a pair of green flats then put them on, covering my right foot first. They're soft.

I wiggle my toes as I try to laugh. You've got a new covering, feet.

Clark comes in and grins at me. "I see you found your other surprise. Do they fit okay?"

I nod then tell him that I like them.

He lifts me into the air so that I don't have to look so far up to see his face. "That's good to hear. Are you ready to meet Zee?" He spells what he says is her nickname for me.

I nod.

He carries me to his car after I help him lock up.

I'm put inside a car seat. That must be new too.

I scowl and tell him that I'm seven.

"I know you are. It's needed because you don't weigh enough. Do you at least like the extra height?"

I nod.

He laughs gently. "Good, because you've got some growing to do, little girl."

I breathe out slowly. I was expecting that.

I wonder how long it will take for me to grow enough. I don't like this car seat very much.

I also wonder about this friend of his. Will she like me?

I'm just about to ask when I'm told that we're here.

I get outside of the car and, not too much later, we're heading outside.

I hide behind him, clinging to his right leg with my left hand. There's a number of people and I don't want to get separated from him.

I've made sure to leave my right hand free for a couple reasons.

I can pet a dog or trace letters into Clark's hand, like a tactile form of sign language. I know Anne Sullivan used to do that with Helen Keller.

Yes, there actually is tactile sign language but I don't think Clark knows it.

I obviously do. I used it with a kid in the place where I grew up who was born without eyes. I taught it to him using my telepathy.

His name was Bat and he could use echolocation like one. I, as you know, couldn't learn it.

He always said that was okay. Like Bruno, he was a good friend.

Most of the kids that I called friends had some kind of disability. There weren't that many but I tended to hang around them because they didn't mind that I can't talk.

I do wish that there was somebody I knew that was also mute. The fact that I am sometimes makes me feel very alone.

Sure, there was a deaf kid.

There was even one I knew who was born without a tongue! It's called congenital aglossia and it's really rare.

That being said, both of them could talk*.

Yes, the kid without a tongue couldn't do so very well at first. He got pretty good though.

No, I won't tell you what power either of them had.

I shake off the memory at the sound of Clark calling my name. I think it's kind of funny how I half expected him to hear him say Silent.

I trace the word Yes into his right hand.

"Can you come out from behind me? Zee wants you to show here why I brought you here. She might be able to figure out what's causing them."

My curiosity is what brings me out. I don't want to do the other thing he said because I don't like being asked to do what I can't.

Do it for the reason you're this way, Sayna.

I do feel a little reluctant as I demonstrate though.

Her eyes widen a fraction then she says something in Italian.

I make a w with my right hand then hold it to my lips, telling her to watch her mouth**. She did just swear.

"You understand Italian."

I nod then sign the word Italian in Italian.

She laughs. "Molto bene***."

I smile.

"Now, let's see if I can figure out what Clark said. Italians are proud and I'd hate to prove him wrong."

She says something that I'm able to recognize is backwards. I don't know if I'd consider that a language.

Her blue eyes fill with concern after some time has passed. "You brought me a cursed girl, Clark."

I'm cursed?

"When was this curse put on her and can you break it?"

Reporters know the right questions to ask, don't they?

"She was cursed as a baby after her parents were killed. I'm sorry to say that, since the curse is linked to death, the only way to break it is if she where to die too. However, it seems to have had the unexpected side effect of activating her Meta gene."

I mouth an Oh.

"Could you give her a glamour charm that would at least give her sound?"

She sighs. "Those can only fool sight. She'll be like this for as long as she's alive."

Clark repeats her last five words then looks at me. "Sayna, do you want the general public to see you as mute or soundless?"

I tell him that I don't want to lie about me being more than mute to everybody.

"So you want most people to think that you're mute."

I nod.

"Okay. That seems reasonable."

I don't think that I want to thank Zee but, since Clark does, I guess that it's okay.

She even tells me so then looks at Clark. "Bring her back some time, all right? I'd like to see more of her."

He says he will at the same time that I tell her that I'd like to see more of her too then, soon, we leave.

I'm getting hungry anyway.

I try to scream once I'm back in the car.

I liked Zee okay but I don't feel sure what to make of what she told me about myself.

I keep trying and trying to scream but, as you know pretty well by now, nothing ever comes out. I just get a sore throat.

It hurts! I sniffle.

Clark stops in front of a pizza place then, shortly, I'm outside of the car and inside a warm hug from him. "Sayna, I'm so sorry."

He tells me that he'll always be here for me, which makes me hug him back.

Both what he said and the hug feel soothing. I tell him so after he lets go.

He smiles. "Let's see if we can get something for your throat. I bet that it must be feeling pretty sore. I think that pizza will take the sting away from the disappointment you're probably feeling over what Zee told you about the way you are."

A redheaded man with green eyes who's almost as tall as Clark shows up. "What way is that?"

I try to scream, which hurts my throat more.

I'm sorry, throat!

I got startled by this guy. He came here so fast I didn't have time to hide.

I wonder what his name is though.

He seems more interested in me than Clark.

He gets down so that he's eye level with me. "Hey, you're like Joseph."

Well, I don't know who that is. I use sign to ask.

"You can't talk, can you?"

He doesn't know yet but you know my answer.

"Well, he can't talk either. That's how I know sign."

I mouth an Oh.

Another mute! Good surprise.

"You'd like him."

I nod then tell him that I've never met another mute before but I'd like to.

He laughs gently. "You should get some food first. I'd like to join you guys but can you tell me your name first? That's okay, right?"

I nod then tell it to him.

"That's a pretty name. Way better than Wally."

I thank him, also telling him I like his name.

He grins. "Thanks, Say."

I scowl at him then shake my finger in front of his face.

Clark rubs the back of his neck. "Yeah, she doesn't like being called that."

Wally apologizes then, after I tell him to make sure not to call me Say again, we head inside.

It smells good in here.

Wally's stomach growls really loudly.

I feel like that sound crated a coverup of sorts for me. I guess that's why hearing it didn't really startle me much.

I look at the menu, feeling unsure. There's so many choices.

I tell Clark that I'll just have it plain.

He laughs gently. "I guess you're feeling a little overwhelmed. That's okay. What do you want to drink?"

I shrug my shoulders.

"Okay. I'll surprise you."

That's fine. I hope that whatever you choose is a better surprise than Fake Bruno.

He laughs when I tell him that after I make sure Wally doesn't see what I'm signing.

"I'll do my best."

We find a table and sit down after my drink is picked. It's bubbly.

I should probably hold my burps back. I hope that doesn't hurt my throat more.

Actually, the table's kind of secluded. That's good because I'll, more than likely, have to explain.

I think I'll just get it out of the way now. Wally seems trustworthy.

Yes, it's my silence that I'll be explaining.

Don't tell me what it is if you thought it was something else. I don't want to know.

He gets told that Clark found me, at the age of 7, after I was cursed, which you know to be the truth. I don't want to lie to him.

I don't tell him that I'm a Meta or about the place where I grew up though I do give him what I told Clark about sound.

I think I might make that one of my regular sayings. After all, I've used it with more than these two guys.

It's one of the nicer sounding phrases I've heard to describe the way that I am.

"Out of all the reasons to go to Zee's. Well, it's nice that you got cream soda and pizza out of it. I even got to meet you."

So that's what my drink is called.

I take a sip then mouth an Oh. I like this.

I tell Wally that I like him too, which makes him grin.

"Hey, anybody tell you that you look like Boo from Monster's Inc?"

No, but I know who that is.

I smile then call Clark Kitty.

He laughs. "Funny you should mention Boo, Wally. I was just thinking yesterday that she looked like her in Sully's bed."

I kind of felt like her actually. I can relate to having a monster.

Mine isn't named Randall though.

I don't want to talk about it but you know it's a triangle.

I decide to huddle closer to Clark. I feel safe with him.

He gently runs one hand through my hair as he tells me in the gentle voice that he's used before that it's all right.

Wally's eyes fill with concern. "Clark, who's Sayna's monster?"

The pizza is put on our table before he can answer.

Good. I was starting to get really hungry.

I'm given one piece to start with.

I somewhat reluctantly tell Wally that my monster is bullies while I wait for it to cool. I also hold up three fingers.

I might as well mention how many.

Wally shakes his head. "Bullies are the worst."

They're on the list, yes.

A song comes on. I like music.

The lyric "I am the first of me" stands out.

I eat my pizza, which I like, and have my drink, wondering what song this is.

Oh. The First of Me by Hoobastank.

It was nice, actually, especially the last verse. Good song.

I'll see about listening to it again later. Maybe on the way back to Clark's place.

He must have noticed because he makes it so that I am.

Good.

*Yes, you can talk without a tongue.
**I don't know if this is actual sign language.
***Italian for very good.