A Wide Spectrum (A Community Fanfic)

Any Means Necessary

For the rest of their free afternoon, they started looking all over campus for the board. Rose, Troy and Abed passed through athletics, Annie, Shirley, and Britta passed through the cafeteria, Jeff and Pierce passed through sciences. They spent over an hour looking. Looking in every classroom. Rose was over it when that hour was up, she started feeling claustrophobic, she really was missing her board. Sensory overload can be very intense. She collapsed and covered her ears in tears.

"Rose?" The boys said.

They kneeled in front of her.

"I know this is difficult for you," Troy said.

Rose was still in meltdown mode.

"We gotta keep looking. You having a tantrum won't help nothing."

"Wait Troy, I can help her," Abed said.

"Abed seriously, we got no time for this!"

"She doesn't like being touched in a meltdown, there is a good way to help her calm down."

Abed started humming a single note. Rose looked at him. He let his hand go toward her back, he lightly touched her where she could feel the vibration of his humming. She put her hands down from her ears and looked him in the eyes.

"I know what you're going through...Roooosssssiiiiieeee," Abed sang.

He helped her up.

"We'll get your board back, I promise." he sang again.

She was calm now.

"Abed...buddy...that was kinda sweet," Troy said.

"Well, scientific study says that humming/singing can soothe, self soothe or from another person. Vibrations can be the best form of stimming. Now, are we gonna search for the board or not?"

"Hmm," Rose nodded.

As soon as they started walking, they bumped into Chang.

"Oh...hola Senor Chang, nice afternoon ain't it?"

Troy was trying to act natural because they knew Chang took the board. The look on Chang's face expressed mixed signals.

"I heard the whole humming ordeal just a minute ago. Being a human computer like you always do Mr. Nadir. The eight of you are searching far and wide on the campus for her precious board."

"We know you have it, you're lying to Jeff about losing it," Troy said.

"Perhaps we'll make an arrangement if you follow me to my office."

The three started following Chang. Jeff and Pierce caught up with them.

"I hope you're giving her the board back," Jeff said.

"I'm too old to be running around the whole property," Pierce complained.

"Follow me, me and Miss. McKinley are gonna talk turkey," Chang said.

"She can't even talk, let alone turkey!"

Rose smiled to herself. The office was already open. They walked into Britta and the other girls in the office.

"Your jig is up Chang, look what we found!" Britta said.

The board was placed on the desk after being in a drawer.

"She can have her board back, on one condition, I saved her test for last-"

Rosie was right in front of him. She pointed to Britta and shook her head; she pointed to herself and nodded.

"She's saying to talk to her, not about her like an object," Britta said.

Chang started talking to her.

"Ok, I'll give it back on one condition, I've saved your test for last in the pile, you're gonna watch me grade it, and if your grade can prove to me that you can do well in this college, I'll let you and your board go."

"So, you held it hostage because you think it's distracting? I get the confiscation of cell phones but dry erase boards," Pierce said.

"How long is this gonna take?" Shirley asked.

"Average time it takes for me to grade it, as long as it takes, I want an honest grade for my students."

Chang smirked before grading. Several minutes passed, Rose started rocking back and forth in the only guest chair in the office.

"It's ok baby," Shirley whispered.

"Let her stim," Abed whispered.

Still rocking, she smiled at all her new friends, touched they would go out of their way to help her.  Suddenly, Chang's smirk faltered.

"That's not possible."

"What?" Jeff asked.

"She got all the answers right, highest grade of all my classes, impossible."

The study group was shocked.