The Silence

Chapter Nine

A/N: Aaaaaah lol this is late because I was busy watching Monsta X videos and rewatching NCT Life Osaka. 🙈🙏 Sorry lol...

Saint:

"This is it." I said to Julian as we pulled up to the library in the middle of town. It wasn't big by any standards. It wasn't even as big as my house. I had spent a lot of my time here when I was younger, though. Good memories.

"Thank you for coming with me." Julian said with a smile and we started up the stairs.

"It's no biggie. I used to come here a lot."

"Used to?" He asked.

"It's... A long story " I said awkwardly and he just nodded.

"Saint? Is that you?" I dipped my head and scratched my hair as Mrs Muller shuffled around the front desk to come say hello.

"Mrs Muller." I smiled and she laughed.

"What brings you here? I haven't seen you in ages."

"I'm showing my friend around." I nudged Julian's shoulder and her eyes flickered to him briefly.

"Friend, hmm?"

"Friend." I said firmly and she raised her eyebrows but said nothing else about it. "We'll just look around. Then maybe come back and get a card?" I looked over at Julian when I said this and he nodded again, but this time he winced slightly. "You OK?"

"Fine." He gave me a wide smile and after we said goodbye to Mrs Muller we walked over to the main section of the library. It was mostly empty today. Only a few adults were browsing the shelves and one or two diligent students were nose deep in text books.

"Where do you want to start?" I asked, spreading out my arms towards the shelves.

"Umm..." He hummed and looked around.

"Fiction? Nonfiction?"

"Fiction." He sighed deeply. "I need a little fantasy in my life right now."

"The fiction books are that way." I pointed to the left, then pointed behind me. "I'll be that side when you're done." I said. I wasn't much of a fiction fan. Too many happy endings made my eyes roll.

"OK." He gave me a smile and drifted off to in the direction I'd pointed him.

I hadn't really noticed before in the car, but he looked different today. Maybe it was because it was my first time seeing him out of his prim and proper school uniform. His jeans were not tight in the way that was trendy at the moment, but they fit well and his sweater, a black and white stripey thing, looked good on him. He looked better. Comfortable.

I spun around and made my own way to the back of the library, running my hands over the books as I walked passed them. It seemed like a lifetime ago that I'd spent weekends here grabbing text books so my mother could teach me. What was she doing right now? I was almost sinking into that familiar pit of over thinking, when a book I'd brushed my hand past caught my eye.

'Learn Basic ASL.'

I pulled it off the shelf and leaned against it, flipping through the book. Did Julian know sign language? I didn't think so...I had never seen him use his hands. Not even with his mother when I'd picked him up earlier. Did he not want to learn or had he just not had the time? The shelf behind me was digging into my spine so I found a chair to sit down and looked through the book more carefully. There was so much to know that it overwhelmed me a little. It was learning an entirely new form of language though. And according to the book, everyone had their own personal signs as well that made communicating easier. Sign language slang? I sat back and blinked when my eyes started to squint. God, how long had I been sitting here? I checked my watch and I hissed with surprise. An hour? Uh oh. Julian.