Quiet Little French Girl. [h.s.]

Learning; Beginnings.

I saw Odette leave this morning for her usual jog, her attire fit for the occasion, although she still wears earphones which I'm slightly confused about. She's deaf so she can't hear any music, but she still puts them in every morning.

It's been a week since I had everyone around, and I've seen Odette everyday since; even if it's for an hour after she finishes work, it's still better than nothing. She came over to my flat yesterday bringing her phone and wire with her so I could take the pictures that she showed me and put them on to my computer. They are even more exquisite when you see them on a larger screen, she really is an amazing photographer, she should peruse her hobby instead of hiding it away from the world.

I haven't really learned much else about her so far; well except for one thing that I already knew, she's extremely secretive. She doesn't really like going into too much detail about herself, it's like she's afraid to show what's beneath the surface, like she's scared of people's reactions to certain things.

I have to remind myself every now and then that her somewhat new friendship with me is a large milestone in her life. She is only friends with the lads and their girlfriends because she's passed them in the hallway for three years; but to everyone else she is an outcast, a wallflower if you will. She keeps to herself.

I can't even imagine how hard it must be for her, she has spent ten years surrounded by silence and living in her own little bubble out of societies limelight. She try's to fit in but no matter how hard she tries there's just something about her that's different. I can't empathise with her whatsoever, I have no idea what she's going through or what she's been through, I tend to give her space whenever she needs it. I don't want to pry into her life, and if it takes time to get to know her, then I'm willing to wait. It's not like I'm in a rush at all.

She has let down a few of her barriers to let me in, I mean it took the lads a few months to learn her name, it took me a few weeks. I keep telling myself that I must mean something to her; like a chance or a fresh start, I'm a risk to her, but she never reveals anything to me. She never speaks, she never lets me in. She just reads my lips and watches me as I ramble on aimlessly.

She's helped me a lot with my project so far, I've done an awful lot of research by myself but her working alongside me just makes it a little bit more fun. Last night, I even made her some Spaghetti Bolognese as a thank you for her help so far. She was grateful, she seemed to really like my food.

Anyway, I know after her jog she normally teaches a sign language class at the library, now I know it's a primary school class but I figured, why not go and learn some?

I grab my keys and wait until she leaves her apartment after getting changed, I want it to be a surprise for her, because if it is, it means I get to see that beautifully large smile of hers take over her features and know that I'm the cause of it's presence.

I leave ten minutes after her and walk the short journey to the local library. The library is a grand old building full of history, absolutely beautiful, "excuse me?" I ask the somewhat elderly lady sat looking at me over her glasses, her tired grey hair pulled up in a tight bun as she sits at the dark front mahogany desk. "Do you know where the sign language class is by any chance?" I question her.

"Are you looking for Odette young man?" Another woman behind me asks, her beautiful name like a faultless poem to my ears.

"Yes, I am." I tell her, she looks quite similar to the other woman, except her hair is white and she isn't wearing glasses, she looks very friendly and elegant.

"She is in the quiet room my dear, it's at the back of the library. Room 203." She smiles warmly at me and points in the direction of the room.

With a quick 'thank you' I rush to the back of the library and immediately spot the room, my smile widening knowing that she is on the other side of that door. I quietly open it, to find her writing on the whiteboard at the front of the room, her back facing me. I sneak in and sit on the floor at the back of the class so she can't see me.