Gwen began to love it there. Every morning, she'd run in cheerfully and without a second thought. Her older brother would be left standing mystified. What had brought this sudden change to his shy little sister?
"Arthur! Arthur?" She gasped, setting her lunch box in the cubby before sitting down at the table with her friend.
He didn't look up from where he colored a picture of pirates. It was neat, all inside the lines as well. It was unlike him to not respond to her calls.
Gwen frowned softly, grabbing a paper and pencil from the stack. When he looked up, she noticed how tired, and upset he looked. It had only been a few days ago she'd finally been able to get him cheerier. "Wanna talk about it?"
He shook his head slowly, then changed crayons. Arthur only looked up when she took it from his hand.
Gwen began to scribble down some words on her sheet of paper. 'Wanna write?' She tossed him a crayon. Pink. The one the color of the heart that was in their drawing. It hung in the window now, for all to see.
He got the idea, and turning the pirate picture over, wrote in shaky hand 'Ok'.
She smiled, and thought for a moment before continuing. 'Why are you sad?'
It was a rather simple reply, and he bit his lip while writing it. 'Mum and Dad fight…lots.'
A flinch of sympathy hit her eyes, and she reached her fingers across the table to touch his empty hand. Now it made sense. Of course, he was scared of meeting new people, because the ones at home were barely ever there for him.
Her words didn't come without a voice this time, when she whispered. "I'm sorry." He was her friend, maybe the best one she'd ever had, not counting her brother. She truly wanted the best for him.
Arthur nodded, and turned his picture back to the pirates. Truth was that everyone was sorry. Even his parents said they were sorry for fighting; it didn't mean they were, and it certainly didn't mean he was deaf.
He finished the picture a few minutes later, and began to write something at the bottom. 'A heart means love. To Gwen. Love Arthur. Thanks.' At the end of the greeting was a little, shakily drawn heart. Arthur slid the paper across the table.
Gwen giggled, and gave it a hug. Then, letting it fall to the floor, she reached across the table and wrapped her thin arms around his shoulders.
When she'd let go, Arthur sat back down, and chose another paper from the stack, without saying a word. Picking up his pink crayon from the pile, he wrote something.
'Wanna write?'
Her brown eyes sparkled, and she carefully chose a blue crayon from the box. 'Wanna draw?'