The Unknown Hand

002

Lance

Lance had been surprised that morning by the girl he had spoken to. He couldn't describe the relief he had felt when she began to sign. She wasn't bad at it, either. His relief was short lived, however, since he felt so lost in his class that followed. He was currently waiting in a hall just outside the lunch room. She had said she would meet him to show him around, and he waited in the best spot he could think of.

It was about ten minutes into the hour long lunch period when Lance began to lose hope. Did she actually think he was awkward and just faked the whole thing? He felt sad all of the sudden, eyes sinking to the floor along with his mood. He pushed off the wall, deciding he should begin looking around the school for himself. He didn't get too far, however, since he bumped into someone. His arms reflexively went out to steady said person, a deep blush coming to his cheeks. How was he going to get himself out of this situation?

Looking down, he saw Margaret. He suddenly felt guilty for thinking the things he just had, not even knowing why he had thought them in the first place. He knew he should have trusted her more, but it was easier to not trust someone you didn't know. The girl's fiery red hair swayed as she steadied herself, green eyes nervously looking up at him. She suddenly jumped away, returning to a respectable distance as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She looked to the floor for a second, a blush growing on her face. At least he wasn't the only one.

Looking back up, a little shyly now, she began to explain herself. "I'm so sorry I'm late. I got caught up in class for a while," she signed, and he could see her lips moving a little as she did so, like she was telling herself the words before replaying them to him.

"It's okay," he replied, still feeling guilty for thinking so low of her. "Did you still want to go around the school?" She looked glad for the distraction, nodding her head and smiling. Gesturing for him to follow, she walked off.

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Margaret had showed Lance more of the school than he had even thought could be there. There was still quite a bit of ground to cover, but they had decided to save it for the next day. In their last fifteen minutes of lunch, she guided him to the ASL teacher's room. She told him that she could help him communicate with some teachers and students, and that the class might be good for him to take. Although he already knew the language, it would help him find new friends and he could talk to some people more easily.

When they walked in the room, he saw a woman, who looking to be in her twenties, sitting at a desk while eating some fruit. She was thin, with light brown hair that went to her lower back. Her eyes were soft and understanding and he couldn't help but feel relieved again. He saw Margaret signing from the corner of his eye, moving his attention to her.

"Miss Jane, this is Lance," she began. He could tell she was saying the words out loud as well. "He's new to our school, and I think it would be good for him to get to know you. He's..." She hesitated for a moment, and he felt the need to go ahead and say it himself. Everyone always felt bad for saying it, but he had to get used to it a long time ago.

Taking a breath, he signed what he knew she wouldn't. "I'm deaf." The teacher smiled, raising her hands to speak.

"Hi Lance. I'm Miss Jane. I hope we can get to know each other well this year." She finished with another smile, then he felt Margaret tap his shoulder. They had to go to class.

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Chapter Summary: Margaret shows Lance around the school and introduces him to Miss Jane, the ASL teacher.

Hey there, beautiful! Thank you so much for reading the second chapter of The Unknown Hand! You have no idea how much that means to me. I hope you have a fantastic rest of your day!