When Two Worlds Collide

Chapter 19 {Final}

(Note: the second half of this chapter may be a little graphic (In terms of gore) So if you don't like it, please don't read.)

Eli's POV

It was Christmas Eve, and I was sitting in the living room of Leanne's house, as my parents were going away with my sisters for Christmas.

So, I was here, Leanne's mother, Emma, sitting at the other side of the room on an armchair, drinking tea and watching a Christmas film on the TV.

Caleb was upstairs, getting dressed, as we were both staying over tonight, and he wanted to make a good impression on Leanne's mother.

Emma was very good at cooking, as she had demonstrated when she made dinner for all of us last night. She was a very sweet woman, but intelligent and practical, too, as she worked as a nurse.

"My mother absolutely adores you and Caleb, you know," Leanne said. "I think she'll be asking if she can adopt you soon." I laughed and I saw Caleb walking down the stairs, smiling.

He sat next to me and turned his attention to his phone, where he was playing some game.

"That dear never talks, does he? What a shame." Leanne's mother said.

Caleb looked at me in confusion and signed: Has Leanne not told her? I shrugged. I guess not. I replied.

"Umm, Miss W-Westbridge, Caleb can't t-talk. He was born m-mute." I said slowly, trying not to stutter. Realisation dawned on her face.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, dear, Li-Leanne didn't tell me. I thought he was just shy. I feel terrible now." Caleb shook his head and smiled. I suppose he gets this a lot.

"Anyway. Where is that girl of mine? I swear she was here just a second ago..." She said. I didn't know where she was, either.

Caleb nudged me and signed: She went to go and ask the boy she liked to come here and stay with us for a while. She said that he's always alone.

I nodded. I told Emma what Caleb said to me, before she gasped: "She never told me she had a boy she liked!"

"S-she didn't t-tell us either. Um..."

"But I'm her mother!"

"I think s-she was scared because she thinks y-you don't like her b-being transgender."

"I see. It's not like I dislike it, it's just that I'm not used to it. I don't mean to stereotype, but he, well, she, didn't seem like the type. You know?" I nodded. If it was one thing I was used to it was my parents stereotyping people who had qualities they didn't agree with.

Leanne texted me. She said that the boy she liked was coming over, and he was also going to spend the night.

I told her mother this, which I could tell she disliked but agreed with anyway. I could tell she really didn't accept her daughter, but half heartedly tried to whenever she was around.

That was another random thing; I was understanding emotions more. That's what people said. I wasn't ever able to tell why people would turn their mouths up, or cry, or shout at me. If someone was talking in a way that would make me scared, I would ask them what I did that made them raise their voice, which just made them do it more.

As I grew older, I realised that everyone else understood why people did these things. They all learnt, without even being taught, straight from before they could talk. I was different, though, and they never thought to teach me.

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It was Christmas afternoon, and we had already had food for lunch. The boy Leanne liked, who was called Lawrence, didn't talk much and looked scary, but Leanne probably didn't think so.