A Key To Hope

Chapter Four

       Leah's POV
                I sat on the couch, my phone in my hands, and I was rewatching the first video I ever did with Devan and Collins. That was where we did the 'Disney Princess In Real Life' challenge. I chuckled slightly, watching the three of us. I was a little older than Micaiah when we'd filmed that video, and I had just gotten away from the guy who took advantage of me. I thought about Kelly, my sister. She and I had been on speaking terms for awhile, but I hadn't heard from her recently, which was understandable, as she would get busy and forget to text on occasion. I did the same thing, so it never really bothered me. Suddenly, Micaiah burst in the door, frantically signing, bouncing up and down, and knocking me out of my train of thought.

     "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down!" I said, signing and talking. She took a deep breath, and set her ballet bag down, and she turned her implants on.

      "Ms. Williams said there's a talent show thing in two weeks, and the coordinators asked if a couple students couple represent our school, and she said that she wants me and Isaac to do it." I chuckled slightly, smiling.
      "Caiah, that's amazing. What are you two performing?" She grinned, pulling out a disk.
     "He and I have been working on a dance to the song Walking Her Home, by Mark Schultz, and Ms. Williams said that would be a good one to do." I smiled at her again, and I saw Bella's head poke around the corner, and then she disappeared. Devan came in, giving Bella a strange look as she disappeared.

     "What's going on? And why did I hear thumping?" Micaiah grinned at him, telling him the exact same thing she'd told me. He picked her up, hugging her and spinning around.

     "Caiah, that's awesome!! I'm proud of you." He said, smiling. I saw Spencer also looking around the corner, glaring at Micaiah. Then, he pulled back, and the phone rang.

     "I'll get it!" Bella hollered, running into the kitchen. She answered, and I heard her talking to whoever it was, discussing something about music. Micaiah went upstairs, and Spencer came in, flopping down on the couch.

      "Well, why can't you do it?" Bella asked the person, seeming a little panicked.
      "That makes sense. Never mind. Yeah, I think I can. Two weeks from tomorrow? Yeah. I think my little sister's going to be in it with her boyfriend." Then she snorted.
     "Really? No one has ever heard me sing before. I'll do Wonderland, and I'll knock them dead. There is no way in the world that my retarded sister and her idiot boyfriend can dance better than I can sing. No, they don't know, and I'm not going to tell them. Look, I've gotta go. I'll catch you later." She hung up, and then I saw Micaiah in the doorway, watching Bella, and I knew this was about to go really badly.

      "Retarded?" Micaiah asked, her voice shaking, and I heard Bella gasp. She hadn't seen Micaiah. Devan started to get up to intervene, but I put a hand on his arm. I was slightly curious as to what Caiah was going to say.
 
    "Is that all I am to you? Just a little stupid, messed up, retarded brat that should never have been born? You try it. You try living the first eight years of your life not being able to hear, and then you try learning to talk when you're nine or ten. It'll mess you up. I'm sorry if I screwed up the way you wanted your life to be. I didn't ask for this. I'm trying to be normal, but since I don't know what normal is, I can't quite do that. Sorry for being such a retarded brat. If it makes you feel better, I don't want things to be like this either. I can hear what you say. I hear those words that you think I can't hear. Just because I was born deaf doesn't mean I can't hear you all. And it hurts. I didn't ask to be this way, and it hurts that you say those things. I wish you wouldn't treat me like this just because you don't understand me." She took off, and, I heard her sobs as she ran to her room, the door closing behind her. I stood up, going in the kitchen, and saw Bella standing there, tears trickling down her cheeks. I looked back, and Spencer was sitting there, and they both looked like they were in shock. Emerson came in, her eyes wide, and she looked at me.

     "Bella, come in here, please. Emerson, you sit down as well. And Spencer, you stay there." I said softly. They obeyed silently, and all sat down, and I sat beside Devan. Spencer looked down, and I saw the guilt and shame on his face.

      "Now do you get it? This isn't her fault, and it's not the world hating you. You're hating her for something out of all of our control, and now she's hurting even more because of it. You're making something that's already hard enough for her even harder. Why are you still doing this? All these things you're calling her.....These things that you're saying....She hears them, and we hear them. It hurts us, too. She's your sister. Why can't you actually treat her like it? I get that you don't understand what things are like for her, but that doesn't mean you put her down every chance you get. I wish you all could understand what this is like for her, but you can't. So at least try. People stare, because they see her implants, and you know she stands out because of how hard it is for her to talk. So....Here's what you can do. Talk to her. Ask her what it's like for her. Find out what things are like, and maybe....maybe you can get a taste of her life." Spencer nodded slowly, and looked up at us. I saw the tears in his eyes, and he took off running, heading to her room. Bella looked up, and I heard her choke down a sob.

       "I'm sorry." She whispered. And I managed a slight smile, but Devan spoke up.
       "Then you need to tell her that." He said gently, and Bella followed Spencer. Emerson took off, going to her room, and she slammed the door. I sighed, and Devan stood, hugging me.

       "You think they finally heard us?" I shrugged. We could only hope.