Words Not Required ✔️

Chapter 4

Sitting on the rocks at the side of the store, I think how much it would have been better if I had not survived the accident. People would have shed a few tears at my funeral then everything would have gone back to normal. Instead, I survived and now I have to live this useless life.

After spending some time in isolation, I get up and head back inside, only to find Lina still there talking with Nick and Caleb. Probably they are telling my sorry story to her.

Great! Now get ready for a new set of pity-filled eyes.

Shaking my head in frustration, I walk past them. But soon, my steps are halted when a hand grabs my elbow.

Lina.

I glare at her hand, which makes her immediately drop her hand. But she stands in front of me blocking my way. Clenching my jaws to control my anger, I look at her.

Surprisingly, instead of pity, I find wonderment in her brown eyes as she looks at me with a wide smile.

"You are amazing, you know that?" She asks.

"What?" I frown in anger and confusion, "Are you trying to make fun of my disability?" I ask through clenched teeth.

"Listen, stupid." The smile vanishes from her face and replaced by a scowl, "Here I am complimenting you and you think I am making fun of you?"

"Do you even know, how amazing you are?" She angrily pouts and points a finger at me, "Okay, tell me how many people do you know who can lip-read?"

"This makes you special, not disable." She huffs and crosses her arms.

"Yeah, sure." I scoff and roll my eyes.

"Hey, can you teach me, how to read lips? Please." She suddenly looks at me with pleading eyes, forgetting her earlier annoyance.

"Are you freaking crazy?"

"No, I just want to learn this... skill." She sighs.

"What skill?" I ask her not able to make out what she has said.

"A-ma-zing." She slowly breaks her word and repeats that word two to three times, until I am able to understand.

"Yeah, being deaf is so amazing." My voice drips with sarcasm.

"Ugh! leave it. I will probably find some other way to learn lip-reading. Thank you for your help." She narrows her eyes at me in annoyance, then turns to Caleb and Nick. Giving them a small tight-lipped smile, she leaves.

"Another way of making me feel miserable." I scoff watching her leave the store, then weave her way through the small crowd gathered around the beach.

"She was genuinely intrigued," Nick speaks along with using sign language, "We told her the reason behind you being an asshole to her, but the only thing which caught her attention was that you could lip-read."

My dear brother glares at me, muttering something at me.

Although I can't understand a word he said through his clenched teeth, but I can bet my life he called me a jerk.

The next day, at the breakfast table, the first thing I notice my little brother is still angry with me. Thankfully, now I can't hear his constant complaints and whining about how much he hates me.

I will not lie, I do miss his nagging voice sometimes. I am sure I am the topic of discussion at the breakfast, and the way Caleb is throwing dirty glares at me and pointing his finger, I am sure he is giving word by word commentary of what happened yesterday at the store. Mom gives me a disappointed look as soon as Caleb finished telling his story, while dad shakes his head at me mirroring mom's look.

"I have raised you better, Jason." Mom arches an eyebrow at me, her expression a perfect mixture of anger and dismay.

I don't need to hear to make out her words, as I know these people so well, that I can tell what they are saying without even listening.

Looking down at my plate, I simply shrug.

I am already irritated for some reason, and for the first time in a long time, it has nothing to do with the feeling of helplessness. The last thing I need is scolding from mom, so I just simply keep my mouth shut.

Mom huffs, then simply rest to glare at me like Caleb. It is almost creepy that they both so much alike wearing a similar expression.

Later in the store, my eyes keep on drifting towards the main door, to catch a glimpse of a certain stranger. However, when I didn't see her, I don't why I feel a slight disappointment.

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Thank you for reading.