Periods

spelling

(This story features characters from my book I Called You Mine, but there are no spoilers because this happens ten years in the future. Also, there is a deaf character so I will use "**" to indicate sign language. This is also not a direct translation, more so what the English interpretation would be.)

I'm talking to my best friend, Harper, in sign because it's been a long day of sounds at school. I wish I had the ability to turn my hearing on and off like she can some days, but we've been friends for almost ten years. I've learned that there are also a lot of cons to being deaf. I remember when we first met back in preschool in 2024 two years old, we spent months being friends in silence. Harper got her cochlear sometime in the summer of 2024, when we were three. She learned to speak and I learned to sign. I think my older sister, Riley, taught me the alphabet in sign when I first told her about Harper, but I was too young to spell then. Speaking of Riley, she is coming home for the weekend (at the request of my parents, because I'm still not allowed to be home alone even though I'm twelve years old.) and we have planned an epic weekend where Riley "cultures me" because according to her, anyone that was born after March 13th, 2020 had no childhood. She lets me be the one exception to that, but only because she showed me all the things I missed out on. Also, I'm not sure why she thinks her childhood was peak, every generation has said that. 

Harper is sleeping over tonight, or at least, we're going to try to convince Riley to let her, because my parents don't like it when they're not at my sleepovers. Riley's an adult though, she's twenty three, it should be fine. 

"*Are you sure she'll let us?*" Harper asks

"*No, but it's worth trying*" I say

"*What if she doesn't?*"

"*Harper it's fine*" I say

When we get into my house, Harper puts her cochlear back on and switches to voice. "You always say she's the cool sister but you really think she'll just abandon your parents rules?" 

"I don't know" I say honestly, "just have some faith." 

"When is she going to be here?" Harper asks

"Fifteen to forty five minutes." I say, "I'm just supposed to tell my parents I was never alone and promise Riley I will behave while I'm home alone for less than an hour."

"That's why you think she'll let us have a sleepover?" Harper says, "because she's loose on the rule about you not being alone at all?"

"Exactly." 

We wait for Riley to get here by watching Survivor, season 20, Heroes Vs. Villains. 

"I feel like Cirie isn't a hero." I say

"But she isn't a villain who rips off people's bras in challenges" Harper points out

"Or dislocates people's shoulders." I say

"Don't forget toes" Harper says, completing the first challenge injury list. Sometimes I wonder how Survivor is a real show. It's entertaining though, even if it's a little psychopathic to admit you like seeing the injuries.

"I feel like we should make popcorn for this." I say

"You keep breaking all your parents' rules but you wouldn't give me the math homework answers?" Harper says

"I'm basically the only child, the youngest, and the favorite" I say, "but at school I'm just another seventh grader. My parents will be more lenient than the school." 

Riley comes in while we're making popcorn and sitting on the kitchen counter.

"Mom didn't tell me I was responsible for both you and your friend." Riley says