Can you hear me?

Chapter One: Skyler

*Picture of Skyler*

The lights flickered off and on in an attempt to wake me from my sleep. I pull the covers over my head to shield my eyes from the blinding light. I snuggle into the warm sheets as I fall back to sleep. I am frightened when a large form lands on my bed next to me and makes me fall off the bed. I lay in a tangle of sheets on the floor. I look up to see my brother look down at me from the bed. He has an evil grin on his face as he gazes down at me. I sit up and glare at him.

"I hate you." I sign while I form the words with my mouth. I don't have to say the words out loud because my brother does know sign language but he isn't the best at reading the signs. I know how to read lips so I could talk to anyone even if they don't know sign language. It's easier to speak with my hands though so my family learned how.

"You know you love me." Hayden signs back with a smile on his face. He stands up from my bed and helps me up.

"Hurry up, Princess. Don't want to be late for school." He signs. I start to feel a nervous bubble grow in my stomach. "It's your first day at a hearing school. You will do great." He smiles and walks out the room so I can get ready.

I quickly shower and dress in a flowy black sequence shirt with a tight rippled dark gray tank top underneath and black yoga pants with knee high black converse. I added a black beanie and a car seat buckle belt. I throw on two cross necklaces that hang at different lengths. I put on a little makeup before going downstairs to the kitchen.

Mom is cooking breakfast like she does everyday while dad sits at the island that separates the kitchen from the dining room. Hayden is seated at the dining table with a plate of pancakes, eggs, and bacon. None of them has seen that I have come in yet. I walk behind Hayden all quiet and snatch a piece of bacon from his plate. I run over to mom and hug her before he even thinks of coming after me. Mom smiles at me, I smile when I see Hayden glare at me before going back to eating his food.

Mom hands me my own plate of pancakes, eggs, and bacon. I go sit next to Hayden with my plate. He swipes a piece of bacon from my plate and starts to nibble at it. I glare at him before eating my food. My plate is almost empty and Hayden's eating what was left on my plate when mom comes up, takes Hayden's plate.

"Excited for school?" She signs while she says it aloud so she is also talking to my brother.

"Yes. Very." I sign back while I say the words out loud. I wonder how I sound and if I am saying the words correctly or if they can even understand me.

"Should we have them give you a translator so it won't be so hard for you to talk to people or understand the teacher?" Mom signs. I shake my head.  I don't want people looking at me different or even more different once they find out I'm deaf.

"No. It won't be hard. I can read lips but if I don't understand something. I promise. I will ask." I sign while speaking the words. She always worries that just because I can't hear anything doesn't mean I can't do anything on my own. I don't even wear hearing aids because I was born with it and I found no point cause even if I wear them I still can't hear anything.  Hayden snapped me out of my thoughts when he hit me in the side. I look up at him and glare but he just smiles at me.

"We will be late. Come on." He doesn't bother signing this time cause he knew I would understand. I stand up and run upstairs to grab my backpack. My dad gives me a kiss at the door and I run out to my brother's car. We are now going to go to the same high school.

We pull up to a big building with two floors with windows the size of doors. I jump out the car after Hayden parks and study the massive building. It looks more like a university instead of a high school. Hayden jumps out the car and I follow him in through the front doors. When you walk through the door there are men standing next to outlines of a door. I seen them before at airports. After Hayden and I step through and get our bags checked, he leads me to the office. The bell rings so Hayden heads off to class while I go into the office to get my schedule.  The women at the front desk looks up as I come in the door. She gives me a bright smile as I come to a stop in front of her desk.

"How can I help you?" I read her lips as she speaks the words. I can tell she doesn't  know I was deaf. Most people don't know I'm deaf until I start signing.  I like when people don't know because everyone thinks they have to act differently around me.

"I'm Skyler. I'm new. I'm here to get my schedule." I say with a smile.

"Oh, yes. I'll get you your schedule and a map so you don't get lost." She tells me. She disappears through a door behind her desk. I stand behind the desk shifting from one foot to the other.

'Stop shifting and relax. There is nothing to worry about.' I jump at the sound of a voice. I bring my hands up to touch my ears softly. Did I just hear something? I look around but don't see anyone in the office with me. Out the corner of my eye, I see the women come back out the room with a map and my schedule in her hand.

"Here you go." She puts the map and schedule on the desk. I grab the schedule without a word and walk out the office.

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I find my first class 20 minutes before it ends. I look around the classroom at all the different kids. Well, not kids I guess. They all appear to be laughing I must have missed something.

"What?" I say to a girl that sits in the front seat, not really knowing if anything comes out. She keeps laughing with the other kids in class. I turn to the teacher. He has an apologetic look on his face. The confusion is written on my face as I look around the class. The blonde haired girl in the front row I can tell is whispering to a girl to her left. She looks up with a sweet smile on her face. I could tell she was trying to hold back a laugh.

"What are you deaf? The bell rang like 45 minutes ago." I read on her lips. I glare at the girl before bringing my hands up.

"Yeah, actually I am deaf. Thank you for your consideration." I sign while speaking so everyone knows what I'm saying. I turn back to the teacher. "Where shall I sit?" I ask without signing.

"You. Can. Sit in. The. Front. Row. Next to. Jillian." He says slowly making sure his mouth forms the right words.

"You don't have to talk like that. Just talk normal. I can understand you." I say before I turn to the blonde girl in the front row that I expect is Jillian. She glares at me as I walk to sit in the set next to her. She still glares as I sit down. I turn to her still glaring at me. I give her an innocent smile.

"What's up?" I sign to her. Her mouth turns into an "O."

"What did you call me?!" She says. I'm pretty sure she says it a little too loud cause a few kids turn their gazes to us. The teacher goes on talking like nothing happened though. I look over at Jillian and she glares at me. I roll my eyes. This is going to be an interesting day. I can already tell.

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After school I all but sprint to Hayden's car. I sit in the car and wait for him, tapping my fingers on my leg impatiently.  When he gets in the car, I don't even give him the chance to sign anything to me.

"Just drive," I sign. I point to the street when he hesitates. "Go!" I sign.  He drives.  School was hell. I was late for almost every class and guess who was there in every one to make it worse?

Jillian.

That bitch.

Wait. Did I just hear something. My head swivels around to look at my brother. He's focused on the road, his lips pursed in concentration. Hayden's not the safest driver in the world.

Relax, dude. You only heard me. I'm in your head.

Well that makes it so much more understandable, I think.

You're not suppose to understand yet.

What do you mean? I ask in my head.

You'll see.

No, please tell- My thoughts are cut off from the voice. It just goes away, like a line being cut.

Well damn then.