Ella had pulled up into the driveway of Josh's house, taking a deep breath as she put her car in park.
She stepped out, looking up at the house; it was...nice. A little too nice for the average person; she began to grow nervous at this.
Her heart began to pound in her chest as she approached the door.
This is it, she thought to herself. Don't fuck it up this time.
She recalled all of the door-slams to her services. Was she willing to get shooed off again?
She hugged her binder, which was stuffed a little too full with papers, close to her chest as she lifted a hand to ring the doorbell.
She waited for a moment, every second passing becoming more and more painful.
Perhaps she should just leave?
She began to turn, however, freezing her in her tracks, the door opened slowly to reveal a rather fit man, tattoos covering his arms and a welcoming smile written in his features.
"Ella!" He exclaimed cheerily.
"Hi!" She smiled in return, holding out her hand to shake his. "Josh, right?"
"Yep," He shook her hand. "Come on in."
He held the door open for her as she stepped inside, immediately glancing around.
Josh stood for a moment as she toed off her converse shoes, leaving them beside the door. "I can go get Tyler.." he mumbled, beginning to fidget with his hands. "Or...you can come to him."
"Sure," She said, giving him a soft smile. "I can do that."
He nodded, taking a deep, nervous breath. "Come with me."
He began walking away, and Ella scurried behind him, holding her binder close again and he took her down a hallway, where a door at the very end sat slightly ajar.
Josh opened the door for her, motioning for her to step inside. She walked slowly, her eyes meeting a small figure sitting cross-legged on the bed, facing the window opposite them.
They both sat there for a moment, as she studied him, knowing that he had no idea she and Josh stood in the doorway.
"He looks so sad.." She mumbled to herself.
Josh sighed. "He needs...to be able to talk."
Ella nodded solemnly. "I'll try my best."
She made her way over to the bed before hesitating, but reaching out a hand to touch his shoulder.
Tyler took one glance at her, jumping out of bed with his eyes wide. He then looked at Josh, searching him with questioning eyes.
'Who is this?' He mouthed to his friend, who tilted his head.
Tyler bit his lip angrily; He wasn't mad at Josh, he was mad that he couldn't communicate. And when Tyler was angry, it built up into a bunch of bottled up rage that, in due time, would have to come back out.
He stepped away from the woman, grabbing the notebook off of the nightstand, scribbling what he had mouthed onto it before shoving it at Josh.
Josh wrote back a reply, before giving it back to him. Tyler read it, eyebrows knitting together contemplatively.
This is Ella. She's here to help.
Tyler then turned to Ella, writing on the notebook and showing it to her.
How?
She smiled, before tucking her stuffed binder under her arm and raising her hands.
'This,' she signed.
He tilted his head confusedly, before he realized what she was doing.
Sign language?
Josh nodded excitedly, a certain joy filling his chest; the joy that his friend could return to a normal, communicative life.
Tyler thought about it for a moment, before simply shaking his head.
Josh gave him a questioning look.
No, he wrote.
Josh's mouth dropped open as he reached over and grabbed the notebook.
What do you mean? You'll be able to talk again.
Tyler grabbed it back.
It's not the same.
Ella sighed; the inevitable fail. It was fun while it lasted.
As Tyler and Josh argued through scribbled words, she broke it by sticking her hand between them, motioning for the notebook.
Tyler hesitated, but gave it to her, and she flipped it to a brand new page, just beneath their argument.
She took a minute to write, before handing it to him, stepping back.
Tyler, I get it.
This is a scary situation...losing your hearing. But I can help you. Life can be normal again, if you just let me. I understand what you're going though. Give me a chance, please.
He but his lower lip, shaking his head again as he wrote, giving her the notebook back.
You don't understand.
The phrase rang through Ella's head; She understood it more than he would know.
Josh looked at his friend pleadingly. "Please.."
Reading Josh's lips, Tyler took a deep, sad breath, averting his eyes from him.
He reluctantly lifted the pen again.
Fine.
She let her lips curl into a triumphant smile. "Good." She mumbled. "Shall we start then?"
Josh nodded, a small smile on his face. "I'll give you two space, then." He gave a wave, before exiting the room.
Before Josh had left, she dropped herself onto the floor in a cross-legged position, staring up at Tyler expectantly.
He let out a small sigh, lowering himself into the spot across from her.
She pulled out a piece of paper from her binder, showing it to him. He studied the words on it; but how were mere words supposed to help him speak now?
She reached for the notebook, which he gave her.
These are the words I'll teach you today, they're common words you can practice by yourself this week.
Tyler nodded, and she showed him the list again, pointing a manicured finger to the name at the very top of the page.
Tyler Joseph.
YOU ARE READING
silent // tyler jøseph
Fanfiction"and nøw i just sit in silence." in which the singer of twenty one pilots loses his hearing, ultimately losing his ability to do everything that he loves. after tyler's best friend decides that he needs help, he hires a woman to teach him sign lang...
