Newt imagines 2

The one who couldn't talk -Whitey Winn imagine

The body of lightning silver trotted up and down the main road through La Belle. I dreamed out of the window, as the rider, the deputy of La Belle, rode up and down, twirling his two guns in his hands. His cowboy hat pulled down over his eyes, he certianly looked the part of a mysterious gunsman. Luckily for him most the ladies of La Belle were out, off to visit the widow Alice Fletcher, so he could do this in the open. He stumbled, almost slipping from his horse, I smiled and a small giggle escaped me.
"Y/n?" The teacher, Miss Dun, said from besides the chalkboard, drawing my attention back from the window and into the room full of children - all serveral years younger than me.
My cheeks turned hot. "S-s-sor-r-rry M-m-miss D-d-d-"
One of the boys snickered.
"D-dun." I blurted out, my cheeks hotter than a wooden stove.
She smiled warmly, her eyes beaming with pride. "Good girl, y/n, go take a mint." She nodded towards the little jar of mint flavoured candies on her desk. I stumbled a few paces forwards, hugely embarrassed in front of all the children. I popped a mint in my mouth and tucked it up around my teeth, savouring it. A trick I had learnt - if you're sucking on a mint, they can't make you answer questions, saves the humiliation. We carried on with the lesson, I would take moments to look out the window, watching the deputy practicing his skills in gun tricks and riding tricks. I made sure never for it to be noticeably long, I couldn't risk having to talk again.

I left the class, pulling my jacket on tightly, the women had returned to collect their children - I would find my own way home.

I passed the deputy, he was still on his horse. I took a deep breath. "H-h-hello W-w-whit-t-t-t-tey."
Whitey lifted his hat, and beamed me a smile, swinging down off his horse in his high waisted trousers he seemed to have endless pairs of. "Mornin' Miss y/n, how ya been holding up?"
I went to tell him about how I tossed and turned at night, replaying the mine accident like a song on repeat. However the words were caught in a huge fishing net at the back of my throat. I smiled up at him kindly, and hoped it was good enough.
Whitey sighed, trying to hold a pity smile. It was all everyone gave me when the words would not come out.

A speach impediment. I had been born with it, unable to say a scentance without stuttering as early on as anyone could remember. Some said it was a curse, that my lips should be sown together so no one should bare the pain of me talking. My mother had never allowed it, nor my father or my elder brother. If only they were around.... it had gotten worse after the accident, now I could barely say a word without stuttering over one of the letters. Very few people had the patience to talk to me - Whitey and Miss Dun being the only two.

"How be the lessons?" Whitey said, gripping the reins of his horse and running his hand down the grey muzzle.
My smile fell. "T-t-t-t-t." I sighed, T's were one of my arch enemies. "I-I-I-I get-t-t-t-t." I was blushing again under Whitey's kind gaze. I couldn't tell him how boring I found them, how I already knew everything and was only there in hope of fixing my problem. The worst part about this is that no one would ever realise how smart and funny I was. I could whip up a funny comeback or a wonderful fun fact but it would take me ten minutes to tell it and by that time everyone would have left. I gave up, tears welling in my eyes and I continued on my route home.
"Why y/n!" Whitey called after me, chasing me down. He grabbed my arm, and pulled me back towards him. I giggled, stumbling up against him. "Come on," he pleaded. "Tell me, ya were so close."
My fingers fiddled with the buttons of my jacket, poking through the small holes. "I'm-m v-v-ver-r-ry smart-t-t-t W-w-whit-t-t-t-tey.
Much to my surprise the soft, little bit grubby, hands of the deputy cupped my cheek. "I know." He was laughing, not at me like the other kids, at himself. "I see ya, up at ya window, every god damn night. Ya read them books faster than I can draw my boys here." His hand ran over the handle of his guns.
I smiled, reaching forward and snatching his gun out it's sheath. It was amazingly light for a block of metal. It had so many buttons, I laughed at it in my hand.
Whitey held out his hands. "Woah! Easy there happy fingers." He tried to take the gun out of my hands but I dodged his attempt and pointed the long dark hole at him. I had no idea how to shoot it, let alone how to hold it.
"Y/n you just pass that on over to me." He said holding his hand out.
I sighed and reluctantly handed the gun back.
Whitey swipped it up, twirled it around his forefinger and then snapped it back into its case. "Thank you." He chuckled, his hand sweeping back a part of my hair. "You ever wanted to shoot?"
I jumped forwards, nodding my head frantically.
Whitey laughed, smoothing back his grubby head of hair. "Thought right I did, one condition, you gotta thank me."
I frowned, and reached in my pocket for my money bag. Whitey pushed my hand away, shaking his head. "No I wanna hear you say it."
I blushed, scanning around us. Fortunately everyone else was gone, off home for supper with the parents they had to care for them. Whitey and I were the only orphans, it was why we got on quite so well. I took a deep breath, and tried to relax as Miss Dun had told me to. "T-t-th-th-thank you."
He grinned and licked his lips. "See you'll be talking proper in no time."
I blushed. I highly doubted that.
Whitey placed his hands on his hips. "Shall i pick ya up this time tomorrow?"
I gave him a nod, he responded with a raised eyebrow. "Y-yes."