AUGUST • C.CULLEN

twenty-five

To Des, for being as obsessed with Auggie's adventure as I am and putting up with my late night spams. ily bestie.

DECEMBER

Eli walks up to Emily's front door with a faint smile, his hands pressed deep into the kangaroo pocket of his hoodie to protect them from the bitter cool of the breeze. He fights the urge to run his fingers through the newly cropped hair on his head, pleasantly short and still damp from his shower.

Eli had had a go at keeping the long hair after opening up about his transition with his friends, but can now say with a certainty that short hair is so gender-affirming for him. It's a small change, in the grand scheme of things — especially when considering HRT and having to make this change official in the eyes of an often not-so-understanding society — but it's good change. Comfortable change.

Now at the front door, Eli lifts his hand to knock when it opens from the inside, revealing a pile of messily folded clothing. With his average stature, it's difficult to see whoever's carrying the load, let alone anything behind them.

"Hey, is someone there?" A familiar voice asks, sending a flutter of butterflies into his stomach. He tries to swallow his nerves with a as he watches Leah stretch out her long, tanned leg to feel in front of her for any obstacles, her foot pressing down gently on his. "Could you move out of the way? These clothes are deceptively heavy and I don't really feel like washing them again because I dropped them."

Eli squeaks and flushes pink, his eyes wide as he covers his mouth with his hand, horrified.

"...Hello?"

He clears his throat, wiping his clammy palms on his scrubs. "Um. Hi." His voice comes out hoarse, rough from disuse and his brows furrow at the effort he exerts.

"Hey," Leah says again, peering over the top of the pile of clothes with ease. "Sorry, uh. You're Emily's friend, right?"

Eli flushes the second Leah makes eye contact with him, all sense of where he is and who he is flushed down the fucking toilet, because this absolute goddess is looking at him. "Um- um-" Eli forces the words to come out as fast as possible, feeling increasingly awkward under Leah's heavy gaze. "Did you. Do you, do you want some help? With the clothes?"

Leah softens, smiling gently at Eli, and suddenly he doesn't care that he'll miss his meeting with Emily. "Sure." She pauses for a moment, separating the pile of clothes and passing them to him. When she faces him again, her brows furrowed, he gives her a gentle smile. "I don't want to... sound inconsiderate. Or rude. But, uh, when I've seen you around with Emily I've noticed you sign. You - you don't speak." She leaves it there, unsure of how to phrase the rest of her question. The two of them begin to walk away from Emily's house, taking their time.

Eli shrugs, adjusting his grip on the clothes as he looks at her. "I'm deaf," He tells her, unbothered. "I lost my hearing when I was, like, twelve. Sometimes, when I don't feel like wearing my hearing aids - generally around August and Em - we sign. It's easier, and... kind of nice. Like having a secret language between the three of us... and anyone else who happens to understand. I guess they've kind of just fallen so into the habit of signing when they talk that when I can hear, we don't even notice it's happening anymore."

Leah hums. "Cool." There's a second of silence before she realises how that could have been misconstrued and her dark eyes widen, her tan skin flushing. "Not -- please don't take that the wrong way."