Speechless (Harry Styles AU)

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

My hand trembled uncontrollably as my fingers laced around the cool metal of the handle of the lunch room door.

The morning had gone by in what I feared would be its usual manner. I was completely ignored by all of my peers and treated like an ignorant child by the adults.

I was exiled in the hallways only lingering in them as long as I had to in my passing from class to class. Their snickers and whispering had grown tremendously as now the entire school had heard of what happened in Mr. Frank's class and how it was all true. I was unable to speak and I signed when it was necessary.

But this was the first truly terrifying moments I knew I was bound to encounter.

Lunch Period.

I had avoided the dreaded hour yesterday by spending it trying to figure out a way around the speech class all juniors and seniors were required to take at least once before they would receive a diploma.

The teacher and I spent the entire period going back and forth with idea. She first asked if I would want to have an interpreter come in when we were required to share speeches in front of class to translate for me but I quickly shot that option down.

After a full hour of going back and forth we decided that I would just type my speeches out and give them to her to read over. She wasn't ecstatic about the deal but I was the best we could come up with in the short time we were given. 

I swallowed hard pulling hard on the heavy door opening up the threshold from the abandoned hallway to the madness of the lunch room.

The round tables were scattered throughout the huge commons area and each table was nearly full of chatting people. On the far wall was the food serving area. It was nearly empty now due to the fact I was 10 minutes late for lunch.

I had hoped something would distract me long enough so I wouldn't even consider making my way towards the lunch area but nothing held my attention long enough so I was forced to retreat here.

Each table was set out like a map, jocks, preps and wannabes to the left, nerds and geeks near the front, druggies and burnouts in the back, and schoolies to my right. It was blatantly obvious that these areas were segregated long ago and no one would dare to break the arrangement.

Each generation just passed it on to the next of their kind. Never wavering from where they originated.

As I made my way slowly to the serving area I could feel the groups eyes rake over me. Screwtinzing everything about me, my walk, my outfit, my makeup (or lack of), the way I wore my hair, the way I nervously bit my lip, my backpack.

Everything was carefully documented by their watching eyes. 

I had had one student come up to me today and ask if I knew where I was going but I soon found out that it was a dare from her friends and she meant it only in a harsh way, not the kind way I had been hoping for.

When I reached the cafeteria I pulled one of the last black trays off the pile and scanned the room for anything I would find edible. In the corner of my eyes I spotted a large cooler filled with salads prepackaged in medium sized black containers. Pulling open the door and taking one out I made my way quickly out of the cafeteria and to the counter where I would pay.

Handing the large women in a hair net $5 she kindly returned me my change without a word. Those kinds of people were my favorite, those that needed not to speak when it was unnecessary, those that willingly chose silent rather than noise. I felt a connection with anyone who shared that small bond with me. Most were by choice but in my 14 years of silence I had met others like me, forced into silence, and we created friendships.