A Chance

Chapter 1

A First Day

It was a cool day when everything was put into motion, one of those days just in between autumn and spring, when life has begun to return, yet the air is still light and cool with the heavy sent of fallen leaves still lingering on the breeze. As the bus pulled away from the school at around 4a.m the chatter and commotion from inside could be heard from anyone on the outside. Everyone inside were talking, laughing, yelling. Several students sat on their knees in their seats, looking at a friend sitting a row or two behind them. Some yelled across the isle. Even those who had brought music to listen to or a book to read had been caught up in all the chatter and excitement. All except one.
Little Miracle Vgou sat alone, somewhere near the front of the bus. Her crystal blue gaze was cast at the lone, dirty, black floor of the rumbling bus. Her pale reddish blonde locks of medium length hair fell over her shoulders, some strands of hair even flipping over her black headband. The headband was meant to hold her hair back.
"I like seeing your eyes," her mother always said as she either slipped a headband into her soft hair or twist her bangs into a clip. "Now hurry up, don't want you late." She would add like clockwork, even if the time showed that tardiness was very unlikely. "I love you." Was the last thing Miracle would hear on her way out. She was only able to turn back and smile. Each day, just like the clockwork of her mother's actions and words, her heart would break a little.
Miracle had been born incredibly premature, and there had been a very high chance of her passing within the first few minutes of delivery. But she pulled through. One day, then two, and on the third she was named. Her parents had been calling her "their little miracle". So that was her name. "Miracle."
This was another story told often to Miracle. She herself could not tell her mother she loved her, or tell stories. She had been born mute, without vocal cords. She had tried many a time as a child to speak like others, make some sound. She only winded herself.
Now she sat on a bus full of two different types of people. Those who didn't like her and those who seemed to not even know she existed.
The ride went on, slowly quieting down until there were only soft murmurs. Many had fallen asleep on the long ride, others had gone silent, reading or zoning out to music. Miracle still sat silently.
It was about 10a.m when the bus pulled onto a dirt road. A teacher, tall, bald, thin man in a bright orange collared shirt, walked down the isle. "Come on," he coached, his voice an unintentional bark that carried through the vehicle, shocking teenagers awake. Miracle jumped too and she hadn't even been asleep. "Clean up your seat. Anything left on the bus will not be given back." He called.
Students drowsily stirred. They had all been excited for the class camping trip but being woken up had obviously not been on their schedule. Miracle didn't have much cleaning up to do. She didn't own a cell phone as she couldn't really talk on the phone and had no one she would text at home, and all her things had stayed in her smallish backpack.
Miracle stayed in her seat and watched as the stream of teens walked past her, yawning and chatting, mostly complaining about how tired they were and how ridiculous the class camp trip schedule would be. She stood and tagged along at the end of the group. She stopped behind everyone. She moved around a bit behind the shifting, talking juniors to get to where she could see the young counselor in the sweater with the camp's logo spread across the chest. Miracle, being the silent person she was, not only was a good listener, she was also very observant.
The way the over sized sweater fit the boy, hid his palms, giving him a younger looking appearance. It was easy to tell he didn't spend a lot of time on his hair as many boys in her grade did as the dark locks fell with a messy wave around his face, brushing over his forehead with the cold breeze. His eyes made her pause a moment. They were an obvious brown, but the way the light caught them as he spoke and moved almost made them look a red color. She lightly shook her head to pull herself back to listening.
"Now, any questions? Concerns?" The boy asked. If she could have, Miracle would have laughed a little. She hadn't heard a word of what he had said, she didn't even know if he had said his name, and she was the one person who wouldn't be able to ask anything. "Alright." He nodded, rubbing his hands together lightly near the hem of his sweatshirt. "There are 3 tables set up in the main hall," he explained, pointing towards a larger, dining hall like camp cabin. "Find the first letter of your last name and you'll receive a cabin number from one of those lovely young ladies." He explained with a smile. His smile was just as quirky as his young appearance. One side of his lips seemed to lift higher than the other, giving him a smile that was slightly crooked.
Miracle didn't realize it at the time, to busy trying to get through the hustle and bustle of students, but this smile made her feel... Almost... Different. It was hard to say how it made her feel different. It just did.
As she went through and got her number she sighed. She realized her name was the last in her class. It wasn't like that always, but Kristan Williams had moved a few months prior, leaving Miracle as it. She knew what that meant. With the number of students, she would probably end up without a cabin mate. She wouldn't admit it or complain, but Miracle had never slept alone. She had always had her mom or her dad. She slept on her own but if she needed them they were there. But in cabin 20, Miracle was alone.
She approached the cabin with a soft, silent sigh. As she entered her eyes wandered to the three beds. A bunk and a single. At least she had a good number to choose from. She thought, giggling, though no sound left her throat still. She decided on the slightly larger single as it looked a little more comfy. She put her blanket and pillow on the bed, hesitating before pulling out a stuffed, worse-for-the-wear, monkey. She smiled softly at the bed, sliding her bag with now only her clothes and toiletries under the bed.
"Hey,"
Miracle jumped, spinning around to look at the door, eyes wide. She seemed to relax a little when she saw the youngish looking boy from before. She hadn't noticed his height until he was standing in a doorway, a comparison. He was laughing a little.
"Didn't mean to scare you. Wanted to come around and check on everyone." He explained. "Sorry you got stuck in by yourself." He added sweetly. Miracle shrugged lightly, smiling softly, though her shy heart was pounding.
"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" He teased lightly, still smiling. Miracle shook her head. "Afraid of me?" He asked another question. She shook her head. "Good." He laughed. "'Cause it's not like I'm allowed to touch any of the campers or nothin'" he told her, though she wasn't sure if he's was joking or really trying to make her relax. Either way it wasn't working. "The name's Trenton- Eh, Trent." He told her, waiting for a reply. "Well?" He asked, seeming to get more irritated when he still revived no reply, not even a smile or laugh from the girl. "Aren't ya gonna say something?" He asked, stepping a bit closer to her, obviously irritated. Well- maybe 'obviously' isn't the right word. Had you known him it would have been, though to a stranger his slightly irritated face looked pretty angry.
Miracle stumbled back. She hadn't been exposed to much social interaction a side from what little she got in school- most of which was either mentally or physically painful. The sole of her shoe caught on a board, sending her back onto her bottom. In a panic she held up two hands, quickly trying to sign that she couldn't speak.
Trenton stopped, letting his gaze soften. "Hey... I wasn't trying to hurt you or nothin'" he told her, extending a sweatshirt covered palm out to help her up. "Can ya not hear?" He asked, realizing that wasn't the case as Miracle shook her head as he smaller hand slipped into his. "Then what is it?" He asked, grunting slightly as he pulled her to her feet. Miracle wasn't sure how to tell him without him knowing how to read her sign language so instead tried to force herself to talk as she had done many times in childhood. All that came out of it was her being red faced and out of breath, her hand subconsciously going to her throat.