Silence is Golden

Chapter 6: September 2010

Monday started a different week for me. I've started on my college applications, finished all the busy work that the teachers assigned for over the weekend, and even caught up on my Supernatural episodes to season 5. Also, Ian had finally opened the floodgates that finally allowed the rest of the school reassurance that it was now ok to torment me. Even the teachers seemed to catch on. But like always, I was ready. Whenever I heard someone yell "dumb!" across the quad, I turned the other way. When someone shoved me in the halls of "accident", I picked up my belongings and continued walking. Nothing could damage me now, for no one in this world is creative enough to find a way to break me.

The worst was the teachers. They didn't call me the names the other students did, but they did believe I was just acting. Every day in class, one they were bound to ask me a question to answer, only resulting in complete awkward silence. Then they proceed to ask another student who would proudly answer, then side glance at me with an "I am so much better than you" look. Except Ms. Lou, Environmental Science.

"Can anybody tell me what soil is?" She asked the class.

Minks, the class nerd, rose her hand. "Soil is the top most layer of Earth's continental crust. It is derived..."

"Thank you." Ms. Lou stopped her, "Would anyone else want to continue? How does soil exist?"

Minks was the only one with her hand raised.

"Aiden, would you like to answer?"

I did my reading last night, it's the parent material. Could I answer her? No.

"Did you do the reading last night, Aiden?"

I nodded, followed by a long section of science.

"Can you answer my question?"

Parent, materials I did my best in ASL. Even though it wasn't the best translation, I didn't know what "parent material" was.

"Aiden, this is not charades, answer my question verbally."

I can't speak. I replied.

"If you don't answer me, I will write you up."

I didn't reply that; this was getting ridiculous. She stood there, hands crossed, waiting for a miracle. The whole class was watching, looking back and forth between our intense stare-off. Nothing was going to change, yelling at me wasn't going to magically grow vocal cords in me. Finally, she moved on, calling some "My Chemical Romance" t-shirt guy from the front of the class. He didn't know the answer.

I ended up with one hour after school. With a trash bag and a cheap plastic glove, I roamed the dirty school campus picking trash. That's when I spotted her. She was with Ian's group of friends, hanging around with some other girls. I signed, picking up a half empty Gatorade bottle.

"I was about to call the school, where were you?" My mother greeted me.

I got detention. I replied.

"What did you do?"

I didn't answer a question.

My mother looked mad. She paced around the kitchen, running her hand through her hair. "Who?"

Ms. Lou.

"Science? I'm calling the school."

I grabbed her, making sure she doesn't do something stupid. They still made me do my hour. They're not going to listen to you.

"We can't just do nothing about this." She placed a hand on my cheek, her weary brown eyes locked with mine, "You are my son, I love you. Remember that."

I nodded, before she walked off towards the phone. I couldn't stop her now, she pulled her "I love you" card on me.