Notebook [Book One]

Two

Nathan raised his eyebrows in surprise, eyeing the pink-haired boy. It surprised him how quickly he understood the message he was relaying.

Jago was always the slowest at catching onto his non-verbal cues, even after several years of friendship, but he usually got it after a few goes.

But strangers?

New people were never that quick to understand. It took a few weeks before a new person understood anything he was saying. And most people didn't hang around long enough to get to that point.

Not having to reach for his notebook every time Nathan wanted to communicate was refreshing and unusual.

Without it, having more extensive, complex conversations was impossible, but he could get by daily with his friends.

Jago popped out of his seat when he realised. "Oh, my brothers! I forgot the drinks; I'll be right back."

The tall boy headed towards the kitchen again, picking up the empty serving trays along the way, ignoring the false jeers of poor service and workmanship.

Aiden could see Jago was a clown; despite being the oldest, he was silly and childlike. It took little to warm to his jolly, giddy nature.

The green-eyed boy returned, carrying a tray of seven glasses of lemonade. Like a professional, Jago started handing them out and returned to his seat just as Nathan excused himself to use the bathroom.

The sound that fell from the white-haired boy's lips when their bodies collided would never leave Aiden. It made his blood run cold as the entire table fell silent with concern.

Nathan's cry was loud and audible as he grabbed his left shoulder, hissing through clenched teeth as he dropped his head, trying to gain some composure.

"Oh shit. Shit, I'm sorry!" 

Jago grabbed the pained boy and pulled him close, all but throwing the last glass down and splashing some of the lemonade on the table, consumed by guilt as the room watched in horror. Jago wrapped an arm around the younger boy and placed his free hand on Nathan's cap, pushing the boy's head into his chest to hide him away.

Aiden wasn't sure what was happening. 

The group acted as if someone had died. Surely, an accidental knock like that wasn't such a big deal?

The taller boy slowly released the shorter one, then pulled back to look into his eyes, but Nathan remained fixated on the ground. His hand pressed on his left shoulder when Jago asked if he was okay.

Nathan nodded, not looking up as he swivelled on his heel and headed towards the bathroom, apparently in a sudden rush.

Aiden looked around the table in confused fascination as the boys became very sombre; the room's energetic mood abruptly sapped.

For a moment, nobody spoke until Matt turned his head, catching the questioning look in the pink-haired boy's eyes.

He needed to know what he had just witnessed, but was too shy and anxious to ask outright. Nathan's reaction to Jago bumping into him seemed a little extreme; it was a big reaction to such a minor incident.

Matt sighed and placed a hand on his cold glass, rotating it on the spot as he spoke. "He had an accident as a kid," He explained, his voice low and hurt, never taking his eyes off the glass in front of him. "His shoulder is pretty messed up, and it's why he doesn't talk anymore."

Aiden listened intently, his forehead creasing as he tried to understand what he was hearing. "He doesn't talk because of his accident?" 

What damage was done to stop the boy from speaking? What kind of horrific accident could stop a person from communicating?