Muted

Chapter 13

Over the course of the entire weekend I learn the entire alphabet, some other basic words and Paige even helped me come up with sign names for everyone. One afternoon Sam saw us practicing and firmly declared that he would be learning with me too.

I was sitting on the back porch drawing Sam and Hunter play, when I felt more than saw someone come up behind me.

"Wow you're really good at that." It was Alex; he sat down next to me, looking at my sketch.

"Thank you" I said. Paige made sure after the alphabet, manners were the next things I learned.

"Signing must be easier than writing all the time." I nodded and smiled shyly at him.

"Hey I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about Tyler. I haven't got a clue what his issue with you is. He seems to be warming up to you though. He's always had a tough time adjusting to change and new people, but it has never been this bad before."

I didn't know enough ASL to respond to him, so I just answered him with a shrug.

"Hey I never thought to ask but... you're cool with Greyson hanging around you like he does right? I don't want you to feel pressured to be nice to him or anything? Same with Rae."

"It's okay. Greyson's nice, so is Rae."

"Ha! His name sign is literally just the sign for the colour gray? And Rae's is the letter 'R' and the sign for curly hair?"

I nodded at him and smiled when he laughed.

"Oh they'll love that, what did you and Ma decide was mine?"

I made the letter A and shook my hand.

"Cool!" he smiled and did it back to me.

"What are you guys doing exactly?" Jake laughed as he walked towards us from the stables.

"Ari's showing me my designated sign name, Grey's just the colour gray."

"Oooh what's mine?" Jake asked eagerly as he sat on the grass in front of us.

"Jake" I made the letter J and then did the sign for horse- which was putting my thumb to my temple, and using my index and middle finger moved them down twice, my ring and pink finger always down.

"J, horse. Ha that's actually pretty great. What's Adrian's then?

"Adrian" I made the A again and then I put up four fingers – all splayed out, and moved it from the left side of my chin to the right.

"Nice these are pretty creative! Did you come up with one for Ma and Dad?" Alex asked.

"Paige, Peter"

"P Mom, P Dad! That's perfect!" they boys laughed and I smiled.

"Okay, okay what's Logan's and Louis'?"

"Logan" I made an L and then swept the letter across my other arm like a conductor.

"Louis" I made the L and then keeping the shape I used my thumb to scribble on my left palm.

"L, music and L, art! I'm a little jealous that mine's just the letter A" Alex laughed.

"Okay tell us the rest!" Jake poked me with his foot. I smiled at him too, then showed him the rest that Paige helped me come up with.

"Carson" I made the letter see and then curled all my fingers before interlocking them and wringing them. C, machine.

"Daniella" D, I swiped my hand in the front of my face then my hand ended in a fist – beautiful.