When I was eight years old, I fell off my bike and scraped my knee. I was alone in the middle of the street, and just getting used to being deaf. I couldn't hear the sound of my bike flipping over or my body following it, but I could feel the burn of my skin as I slid across the asphalt. It was in that moment that I realized that this was reality, and my hearing was lost forever. I cried until someone finally saw me in the road and helped me back home.
Fast forward two years, and I'm ten. Fifth grade was difficult for me specifically due to a certain girl in my grade. Her name was Emma, and she was one of the popular girls. She had a 6th grade boyfriend, who was hot and played football and a total "prize". She targeted me because of my disability and disadvantage to communicate with the other kids. She was like a ten year old version of Tasha, really. My friends abandoned me, and I was left with no one. My brother didn't help me much, this was before he grew overprotective of me. And that situation was exactly why he grew overprotective of me.
Sixteen years old, I didn't go to my morning classes because my mom took me to the city building for my driver's test. I passed on my first try, only missing three questions. My mom was so proud of me, and she took a picture of me having my picture taken for my license. That was the day I had worn a pair of large, black hoop earrings, and accidentally yanked one out of my ear in the last class of the day.
The summer before my junior year, I transferred schools because the amount of harassment was to much to handle. I had to move to a whole new town and go to a whole new school. The friend making wasn't that difficult– I never made friends at my old school, either. I hadn't talked to Mandy first, in fact I had no intentions of responding to her attempts at being my lab partner or speak to me at lunch. I had just figured she was one of those people who talked to the loser because they were dared to. Turns out, Mandy didn't have many friends either. That was the first thing I noticed we had in common.
These memories play through my mind like a movie. They seem so distant and forgotten that I can't remember what will come next. I want to move my mouth and ask why I'm reliving my life, but my lips won't tug open like they're meant to. I try to jerk my arm away from my body, but it's like it's glued to the bed. Panic sets in and I find myself frantically trying to move even an inch of my body.
Nothing works.
What's going on? Why can't I move? I'm not tired, so why am I sleeping? I wanna wake up! Someone, anyone, let me wake up! Why is this happening? Why is everything so dark now? What happened to the memories projecting across my vision? What is happening?!
--
"This is taking way to long!" Mandy groans, exasperated. She paces back and forth in front of her best friend's hospital room, running her hands through her hair. The door has been closed for about an hour now, and every passing minute caused the group of teenagers and two parents to grow more anxious.
"I heard them say her lungs collapsed," Jacob mutters, staring blankly at the floor. No one replies to his information. Bella's mom sobs quietly into her husband's chest, while he rubs her arm soothingly. Annie and Jasmine sit with their boyfriends on one of the benches, knees barely touching each other and talk in hushed voices.
Gabe is sitting on the floor with his back leaning against the wall. He's directly in front the door staring at the evenly painted white metal that separated himself from his girlfriend. Dana sits on one side of him while Dalton sits on the other. Neither of the boys speak.
Suddenly, the door opens. Mandy stops pacing and Annie and Jasmine stop talking. The three boys on the floor look up in unison. Bella's parents stand and take each other's hands. The doctor glances from each face, his heart heavy.
Gabe pushes himself off the wall and walks down the hall. The elevator is in his sights, and if he gets there in time, he can be alone for a few seconds. Behind him, his friends call out his name. He can hear the soft thuds of their feet against the floor as they jog to catch up with him. He ignores them. Inches away, he's only inches away from the small box that will take him away from this floor, away from the broken hearted sadness.
When he reaches the elevator and steps inside, his friends catch him. He's not as bothered as he should be, but he presses himself to the back corner and drops his head. The doctor's words replay in his mind.
"Mr. and Mrs. Stone, I'm very sorry to say this but your daughter… Your daughter has passed."
Passed. The love of my life has passed.
The doors open in the lobby. The teenagers file out and head for the front doors. Gabe can hardly walk straight. The tears forming in his eyes makes his vision blurry. He bumps into Dalton and mutters a quiet apology. He walks past the group, out the sliding doors, and into the warm California air.
My girlfriend is dead. She's dead.
Gabe stops in the middle of the sidewalk. His friends don't stop, but watch him with caution. For a second, Gabe stands still, completely frozen to his spot. Will leans to Jasmine and tells her in a hushed whisper to go home with Annie. He tells her they need to stay with Gabe, and that he'll see her later. Jasmine hugs Will, then tells Annie. With a quick peck to Cole's lips, Annie wipes her eyes and waves goodbye to the boys. They hurry off to Annie's car.
"Gabe," Cole says, stepping up to him. He's about to rest his hand on his friend's shoulder when Gabe suddenly turns his body and slams his fist against the brick wall to his right. Pain shoots up his arm and he jumps away. Cole gently grasps Gabe's shoulder, and looks him in the eyes. He isn't surprised to see tears spilling out of Gabe's eyes.
Dana steps forward and pulls Gabe into a hug. Then Will steps up, next Cole, and finally Dalton. By the time Gabe wraps his arms around Dalton, the restraint he tried to uphold crumbles. He feels tears slip down his cheeks as he cries on his friend's shoulder.
After a few minutes, Gabe pulls himself together. The boys head back home in silence, the only noise is a rap song faintly playing through the radio's speakers. Gabe stares out the window, all he thoughts that once raced through his mind have dissolved, leaving him with an empty mind.
When he arrives home, his mom is waiting for him. She pulls him into a tight hug and rubs his back. He tells her he wants to be alone, and she nods understandingly. Kissing his hair, she reminds him to call if he needs something. Gabe only nods and trudges upstairs.
Laying on his bed is a bright orange envelope. Gabe kicks his shoes off and walks over to it. Written neatly in cursive is Gabe. He picks it up and flips it over. There's a white note taped to the back. It reads:
Dear Gabe,
Don't open this envelope until after my funeral. I love you, so so much. I'm sorry.
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Can I get four comments and twelve votes? :)
I'm sorry this was short, but I promise the last couple of chapters will be longer.
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Silent {g.m}
RandomA story of a deaf girl who fell for a stranger that spilled soda on her.
