Wanting To Be "Normal"

13

He's doing homework in a corner. He has headphones in, and he's jamming out to a random song. He looks up and sees me staring at him. I blush, deep red. His mouth moves. I shake my head. I roll over to the table, and pull out my notebook.

Hi. I write, then pass it to him. He scribbled on the paper with his pen. He nervously hands it back. It says: Why can't you talk? Sorry to be abrupt, or invasive.

I pause for a moment, scared to answer. I'm deaf. I hand it back to him. He pauses.

Oh, sorry. What's your name? Mine is Sam. Oh. My. God. Did he just ask my name??

I write back: Alison.