Behind The Smile

It made it worse

The next day Elizabeth stayed true to her word and let me sit with her. She sat across from me on one of the wooden tables. "So," she said munching on a strawberry. "How's classes?"

"Good," I signed. "It's actually quite interesting. I like English, we're doing poetry right now. And obviously I like music too." I left out the parts where people chuck paper at me and I get glared and stared at every time I go to answer a question.

"Nice." She said, still consuming strawberries. "I really like maths, and health class too. I want to be a teacher at a special needs school. I want to help people with needs kind of like yours." I clenched my fists at what she said. So that's what I was to her, a charity case. Her practice job.

Elizabeth saw my expression and she looked worried. "Oh my god, I didn't mean it like that. I meant that I wanted to help kids that don't catch on quick enough, not like you. I'm so sorry, did I offend you-"

"No, no, it's fine, I knew what you meant." I waved it off and we continued eating.

We were almost finished when Zeldris came up to Elizabeth and I, Gerharde just behind him. " 'Sup, Elizabeth, baby bro."

"Stop calling me that!" I signed, then fake shoving him. "Oh hey Gerharde."

"Hi, whatcha up to here?" She smiled.

I looked at Zeldris. Zeldris got the look I gave him. "Oh, Gerharde here can read sign, she knows it since her Dad is deaf, as well as her baby brother."

"Cool. We were just talking. What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Nothing really." Gerharde smiled, sitting beside Elizabeth.

Zeldris slid in beside me. "We just came to say hi and ask why a certain Ban Underwood and his gang keep glaring at you?"

Elizabeth and I turned around and sure enough, they were glaring at us from their table.

"Dunno, probably think that I shouldn't be hanging out with Elizabeth." I suggested.

"Okay then, well, we've got to go, the bells gonna ring soon." Gerharde stood up, Zeldris getting up too. "By the way, Elizabeth, you told him yet?"

"Told me what?" I asked, interested.

"N-nothing," Elizabeth stuttered, blushing slightly and then grinning cheekily. "It's a secret."

"Awwww." I moaned. "That's so not fair."

"Oh well." She said as the bells went for the end of lunch. "See you later."

In class, I took my usual seat in the back of the class and got out my stuff. The usual notes were thrown and and this time a pencil even got flung in my direction, courtesy of Ban and his friends/flying baboons.

When the teacher walked in it went silent, marking the start of the lesson. "Good afternoon students, I trust you had a good lunch." Miss Twig said. "Usually, this would be an extra maths lecture, but that's changed."

There was a murmur throughout the class but it was hushed by Miss Twig. "Instead, we will be learning a language. Can anyone tell me what language we will be learning?"

There were several answers but they were wrong. I had a feeling I knew what language it was. "No, that's wrong. In fact, I'll let the new teachers tell you." Miss Twig said and Elizabeth and Gerharde walked in and took their place up front.

"Hello, as some of you may know, I'm Elizabeth and this is Gerharde." Elizabeth smiled. "For the next double period until I decide so, we will be learning-"

"Sign language!" Gerharde exclaimed. "Okay, so most of you will probably know why but not why we are the teachers. You see, my Dad and little brother is deaf, so I know how to speak it. Elizabeth here can speak it because of her extensive training in languages by her tutor when she was younger."

"Now," Elizabeth said clapping her hands. "We will show you first how to say 'Hello, my name is ______.'" Elizabeth and Gerharde demonstrated several times and then instructed the class to practice.

Elizabeth came up to me. "Surprise!" She said. We chatted silently in sign and then Gerharde dragged us BOTH up to the front.

"Shush!" Gerharde yelled. The class went silent. "Now, do different parts of countries have different accents, right?" The class nodded. "Well, people speaking in sign do too.

"So they can have a posh accent? Like 'I say, would you care for a spot of tea?' haha!" Ban demonstrated in a posh Yorkshire accent. Everyone laughed.
" Shut it Ban." Gerharde hissed. She regained her temper. "As I was saying, Elizabeth, Meliodas and I are going to demonstrate."

"We are going to say what you have just been practicing and tell us if we speak/gesture differently." Elizabeth said. We all signed 'hello my name is ____.'

"So, I speak the local sign brogue, the way sign speakers in Liones sign. Elizabeth speaks with a more formal tone than I do, but still with a Liones accent. Meliodas, I'm guessing you have a very heavy Danafor brogue?" Gerharde guessed. I nodded.

The class gasped and muttered. They do that whenever Danafor is mentioned. I would too, if I was them. But since I can't gasp, and I understand more than they do, I ignore it.

"Did you really come from Danafor?" One boy asked. I nodded.

Everyone started asking me questions like 'what was it like?' and 'did you almost die?' and 'was your house bombed?' until Miss Twig shushed them, sensing my tension.

When Class was over everyone left until I was the only one left. I picked up my bag and was exiting the classroom when Ban and his goons stepped in front of the doorway. "Hey, little rat. I got to tell you something." He spat.

"So listen you little refugee scum, stay away from Elizabeth. Touch her, look at her, talk to her, even breath in her direction and I'll make your life a living hell, got it?" Ban threatened. I smiled slightly.

"Wipe that smile off your face you mute refugee scum!" Ban yelled and punched me in the face, sending me to the floor. He laughed and walked away. What he didn't notice was the slight smile I wore on my face.