Chapter: A Day of Challenges and Comfort
Billie woke up feeling... off. The excitement from yesterday still buzzed in the back of her mind, but her body felt exhausted, her thoughts sluggish. As she sat up in bed, she stretched and yawned—only to be met with an unfamiliar sound.
“Meow!”
Her own voice startled her. Billie clamped her hands over her mouth, her heart racing. That was new. A new tic.
“Meow!” she blurted again involuntarily.
Her chest tightened with frustration. She hated vocal tics, especially new ones. They always threw her off, made her feel like she had even less control over her body. She frantically signed, No, no, no, as if denying it would make it stop.
She curled up on the bed, rocking slightly.
A soft knock on the door made her look up. Odessa peeked in, smiling softly. “Morning, lovebug,” she said. “How are you feeling?”
Billie hesitated before signing, Bad.
Odessa immediately sat beside her, rubbing small circles on her back. “What’s wrong?”
Billie exhaled shakily before signing, New tic. Hate it.
As if on cue, she let out another involuntary “Meow!” followed by a sudden jerky head movement. Odessa simply smiled. “Oh, Billie, that’s okay. It’s just your brain doing its thing. You’re still you.”
Billie frowned, but Odessa wasn’t done. “And honestly? If you’re gonna have a vocal tic, a little ‘meow’ is kinda cute.”
That got a tiny smile out of Billie. Just a tiny one.
Odessa grinned. “There’s that beautiful smile. Now, what can we do to make this morning easier?”
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A Difficult Outing
Despite the rough start to the morning, Billie’s parents had planned a family lunch outing. Billie wasn’t thrilled about it—new places, new sounds, new people. It was already a bad sensory day. But she didn’t want to disappoint them.
She sat in the backseat of the car, her ear defenders already on, trying to block out as much sound as possible. Odessa sat beside her, holding her hand, tracing gentle circles on her palm. Billie focused on that—on the soft touch, the steady rhythm.
When they arrived at the restaurant, Billie immediately felt overwhelmed. The noise, the lights, the strong smells of different foods all mixed together—it was too much.
Her tics flared. Her head jerked to the side. Her arms flailed, and she let out a sharp “Beep!” followed by a string of random words that didn’t make sense.
“Meow!”
A few people turned to stare.
Billie’s breathing picked up. She started shaking her hands, her vision tunneling. Odessa quickly stepped in. “Billie, let’s step outside, okay?”
Billie frantically signed, Can’t. Stuck.
Odessa didn’t hesitate. She guided Billie away from the crowded area, helping her outside into the fresh air. The moment the cool breeze hit her, Billie gasped, taking in deep breaths. Odessa rubbed her shoulders gently.
“You’re okay,” Odessa murmured. “Breathe with me.”
Billie matched her breathing. In. Out. Slowly. The tension started to ease, just a little.
After a few minutes, Odessa signed, Want to go back in?
Billie hesitated, then nodded.
They re-entered just as their food arrived. Billie’s face lit up at the sight of her favorite meal. She signed, Excited! before clapping her hands together.
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mute
Fanfictionbillie has severe autism and is mute. as she grows old she meets a friend. Billie is always bullied in school for being mute and having Tourette's.
