Disabilities and Disorders- Short Stories

Maya

Maya - 10 - SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder) - Does NOT know she has SPD

I'm on my way to school. Just another normal day, at least I think and hope. In the distance, I hear the bus pulling up! It stops, and I climb on. I sit down alone, mainly because no one wants to be my friend after I lashed out at my other friend. He never wanted to hang out with me any more. But to be fair, he was being really loud. 

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The bell rings, and I rush out of my math class. Next was science. I love science, but there's someone sitting behind me that I can't stand! I mean, he's really nice, but he annoys me. I think something's wrong with me. I sit down right before the tardy bell rings. Carter, who sits behind me, is already tapping his foot. tap. tap. tap. The teacher walks in, and class starts. Oh no! Our test is today! I log on to the computer, and even though the teacher is talking, I hear it. tap. tap. tap. I get onto the test, and then start. I have all 100's in science, and it won't change from one test that I know everything for. I work through every problem. tap. tap. tap. By now, I'm trying not to scream! I can't concentrate when someone taps their foot! tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. Okay it's so annoying! I finish the test and click submit. I click "view score". I......... No....... No......... NO!!!!!!!!!! Trying not to scream, I look to see what made me get... a.... 90! A 90! A 90 WILL RUIN MY PERFECT GRADE! I look to see what it was. I remembered that if you press the 'up' or 'down' arrows, it will change your answer! Then I remembered putting my head down on the keyboard. I put it down because Carter was tapping his foot! I look. I clicked "Parasite and Host", but right below it, as in if I clicked an arrow key it'd go to it, was the answer I chose. "Parasite and Prey". I freak out, trying not to scream! I pull on my hair. I hold back the tears. I hear it. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. tap. I.... I was mad before. Imagine how mad I am now! He ruined my perfect score by distracting me!

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The bell rings again, and I run to lunch. Finally. I'm so hungry, and I even ate my cheese stick in band! I sit down at my usual table. Three people sit with me at lunch. If I'm honest, I don't even really know one of them. She seems nice, though. The first friend who sits down is the one I know best. Her name's Adele. She asks, "How are you, Maya?" I respond, "Okay... I guess." I'm still upset about what happened in science! Adele, who is in my science class, asks, "What happened in class today?" No one knows I can't stand the sound on  feet tapping, so I lie and say, "I'm fine. It was nothing." She doesn't believe me; I see it on her face. But, she can't do anything about it right now, because the other two, Jackie and Taylor, show up and start talking to her. I'm so glad she didn't have time to ask any more questions. She's known something's up. She knows something's wrong with me. When I say wrong, I don't mean something is literally wrong with me, just I'm not who I usually am. I open up my lunch and eat my roll-up. Adele opens up a bag that has her sandwich in it. I flinch. It's really loud, and I freak out. I grab my hair. I cover my ears. She looks over and says, "You sure you're okay?". I don't hear her. All I hear is the sandwich moving around in the bag. She asks again, and I see her mouth moving, so as much as I hate it, it take my hands off my ears and ask, "What did you say?" She looks worried. She's one of those friends that knows when you aren't okay. She asks again and I respond, "Yes." She says, "Maya, you have to tell me what's up!" I freak out, I don't want to tell her she's loud, that'd sound rude, so I say, "Uh... just tired.", which is partly true, I am tired. But that's not what's making me upset. She shrugs and goes back to eating. crunch! Jackie is eating chips. This is bad! Chips are loud! I freak out, for the third time today. I cover my ears. I grab my hair. thump. Someone just put their water bottle down on the table! WHY IS THERE SO MUCH NOISE!?!? Taylor noticed. "Are you okay?" What do I say? What do I say? "Yes." The lie passed through my lips as easily as everything else. Why do I have to be weird? Why can't I be normal? I know I'm not normal. Normal kids don't freak out whenever someone eats. Why do I?

Authors Note:

I have SPD, and I AM sensitive to sounds(and other stuff). I actually cannot separate background sounds.