Ordinarily Normal

Chapter Seven

CHAPTER SEVEN

I wake at 7:37am on Wednesday 24th November with the sun shining through the curtains and a clear head. After dressing I take some tablets to help my anxiety because I feel that today is going to be fragile. Rushing out the front door I forget my backpack.

I walk into Maths, pondering how I'm going to ask for Isabel's number without being teased, before I realise she has been standing in front of me trying to grasp my attention.

'Hey... Hello...Hi, hey Dylan...DYLAN...Earth to Dylan...' She increasing gets annoyed as I can see she has stopped signing and has turned to waving at me. I notice and come back to this dimension after about 30 seconds of her getting more and more aggravated. I feel bad.

'Hello' I sign, prepared to up and run at any point.

'Dyl's where were you? Another dimension? You ignored me, completely'

'Don't worry'

She struts off and tries to act as though she couldn't care less but I can see quite plainly she does. After about three times of her looking back at me over her shoulder I mouth

'Sorry'

She seems to understand and comes walking back with her arms folded and her eyebrows raised. Even with this attitude on her she still looks as beautiful as ever as her long brown ponytail swishes behind her and her deep hazel eyes say that she's happy.

'Fine then but from now on I'd appreciate if you wouldn't ignore me considering I can't speak verbally and can only communicate by the use of this silent language.'

'Sorry, I was just thinking of how to ask you for your phone number?'

It just slipped out with no warning or anything. I can feel beads of sweat on my forehead and my heart is racing against my blood to pump it around. For a moment I see a flicker of satisfaction in her eyes like she wanted to ask me the same question and I've just saved her the work. Then it disappears and I see delight. I'm glad, very glad.

She says that she will put it in my phone so I hand her it and she does so.  I make it my job to message her this evening hoping she will reply.  I will benefit from the distraction.

When lunch comes I walk out of class having had Biology just in time to receive the flood of bullies.

'Well, Dylan, Dylan Smith, I've finally figured you out...' Says Sam.

'We got you righ' sussed' spits Corey flicking his hair to the side.

I reply 'Great.'

'Yeah, we worked it out, in biology you know we learnt about mutations in DNA...'

'...And some people can have one or two mutations...'

'...Well you...'

'...You, are just one huge mutation kid'

say Corey and the others.

The all say it like it's been rehearsed over and over again. The way they phrase it is just like one person has said one sentence. All the words string together perfectly with no spaces or pauses. I kind of wish I had that friendship with a group of friends (minus the bullying) or even just one friend. It's all fine  too say 'yes my parents are the best friends I've ever had'  but sometimes ,when Gregory shrinks back into hiding  I feel like it's not enough.

I'm the bigger person and you're the cowards, I think as I walk away from them not saying a single word. I don't dare look back in case they are two steps behind me ready to fire the simmering insults.