Mute - Egobang

2✨

"what's up arin? you seemed distant earlier." ross had immediately called arin as soon as he got to his room.

"nothing."

"you've barley been signing." ross had a worried look on his face. arin hasn't been this quiet since they first met.

"how was the project with danny?"

"is this about him? is that why you've been quiet?" arin couldn't look at his screen. he had been thinking about dan, and he hated it.

arin finally nodded.

"he just got into my mind, but i don't want to think about him. he seems like the type to be mean and break me." ross went silent. danny was pretty nice, from what he saw at least.

"dan is nice, he was worried about you." ross sighed.

"maybe he was acting." arin lowered his head, feeling tears fog up is eyes. he wasn't sure why he was starting to cry, but he sure didn't want ross to see.

"arin no, talk to him. he's not that bad." arin shook his head.

"goodbye." he slammed his laptop shut. ross was scared. arin was acting weird and it surely couldn't have been about dan, they barley talked. he let out a few tears.

arin instantly felt bad as soon as he closed his laptop. he texted ross.

to ross✨:
sorry, I feel bad for doing that. don't be mad at me, I'm going to bed.

he didn't wait to see if ross had seen it or not, all arin wanted was to sleep.

✨

dan was early today. he wasn't sure why, but when he woke up for school he got ready in record speed. he sat under a tree, his usual spot, until the bell rang. dan looked around the field. the tree he was usually at was in front of the parking lot and next to the football field. dan always wanted to be at one of his schools games but going alone was kinda sad.

there was ten minutes left until the bell rang. he decided to walk into the building and to his locker.

dan didn't usually have his locker stuffed with books like most people. there was just one textbook in the middle. it was a history book. danny made a bet with himself to see if he can pass the year by just coping off of people's work. it really wasn't going so well.

the boy grabbed the history book and stuffed it in his bag.

"hey man." dan flinched.

"dude, what the fuck." he turned around to see ross. he had a stupid smug grin on his face.

"you scared me, don't do that." he playfully punched ross on the shoulder.

"whoops, too late." dan rolled his eyes.

"right, so what's up?"

"oh well, just wanted to see how you were." ross looked away. dan smiled.

"i'm doin' okay." the two began to walk down the hallway.

"me too." they walked a little more in a comfortable silence. ross didn't have many friends, so he hoped him and dan would have a good friendship.

"no, don't walk away from me!"

the boys stopped.

"hanson, get the fuck back here."

ross turned around in a panic. there was no way in hell that someone was going to mess with his best friend.

he saw a guy with bushy brown hair walking behind arin. they both looked pissed.

"leave me alone." arin signed, although the other boy didn't understand. he saw ross and dan standing at the end of the hallway and practically ran over to them. arin's mad face turned into a slightly sad one, his eyes pooling with tears. dan wanted to hold him so bad. arin hid behind ross, not facing dan. he knew that arin must have hated him for some reason, but he just wanted to hold him.

dan put a hand on the smaller boys back and started rubbing up and down. arin really didn't want danny to comfort him but he didn't care right now. he turned around and hugged dan tight. ross saw from the corner of his eye and smiled a bit.

the guy who was following arin walked up to the three.

"hey man, what do you want?" ross stopped the guy, pushing him back and keeping his hand on the others chest.

"just wanted to talk to hanson but he kept walking away."

"well you can say what you wanted to say now."

the boy rolled his eyes, pushing ross to the side.

"stop being a fucking baby arin, I just wanted to tell you if we can practice after school. but since you're too sensitive and need protection from your fucking boyfriends forget it. I just wanted to be your friend."

arin felt stupid. he was sure this guy hated him, they were rivals after all. his tear filled eyes got foggier and began crying onto dan's chest.

the guy walked away, leaving ross with his arms crossed and arin sobbing on dan.

"buddy, why did you walk away? i'm sure he was going to explain himself if you stayed." danny rubbed arin's back again.

the smaller boy pulled away, holding his backpack straps tightly. he felt ashamed. he really was a baby.

"arin?" ross said "don't be so sad, you didn't know what he wanted to say."

"i'm so stupid." arin smiled sadly. "this poor guy wanted to ask me a question, but I was being too much of a baby. I thought he was going to hurt me." dan looked up at ross confused.

"he just said- uh. arin could you write your sentences out until dan learns what you're saying?" ross asked the boy, hoping for a yes.

"forget it, he probably just wants to get in my pants." and then arin walked away.

"what's with you arin!" the blue eyed boy called after his friend. dan was still confused, but by the way arin glared at him during whatever he said, he knew he didn't want to be his friend.

"you go after him, I don't think he wants to be around me."

"you sure?"

"yeah, I'm gonna skip today actually." dan ran a hand through his hair, his hand getting tangled in the process.

"god I wish I can do that." ross chuckled. "my parents would get super pissed."

danny didn't know what else to say and frankly he didn't even want to talk right now. the two did a quick handshake and promised each other to text later.

dan walked out of the school, his fingers trying to find a cigarette in his front pocket. he lit it and took a deep inhale.

why didn't arin like him?

why does he care?

why is he thinking about a boy he barley met?

the tall boy shook his head, trying to stop what he was thinking but with no such luck.

he sighed.

a/n: sorry for the long wait. hope you enjoyed!
- sweetie 🎀