Love For A Mute

Part Two

My alarm interrupts my dream and I let out a soft groan before wriggling out of bed. I rummage through my closet before deciding on a cherry red sundress. I pull it out and set it on my bed before making my way to the bathroom to do my morning routine.

I brush my teeth, making sure I've got fresh minty breath, before I start on my hair. I brush my long, ebony hair until no tangles remain. Applying makeup, I start with a light smokey eyeshadow followed by black eyeliner forming a wing. After mascara, I look at my small lipstick collection. After I decide on a matte lavender to take with me, I leave the bathroom, nearly running into my mom.

"Look at you! So beautiful! Please tell me you're not wearing pajamas to school!" She puts her hand under my chin.

I shake my head at point at my bedroom, pulling her with me as I enter. I show her my red sundress and my converse high tops.

"Hey, you want one of my rings today? For good luck?" My mom holds up several from her ring collection.

I choose a white gold band with a small opal stone on it. She nods and slides it on my ring finger, where it's intended to go. It's my favourite of her ring collection because my father gifted it to her for their engagement.

"Why don't you keep it?" She holds my hand for a second.

I look at her, quizzically.

"I don't wear it anymore, plus you always choose it. I know you miss him as much I do. I don't really need it anymore." She nods and takes a step back.

I nod slightly before she leaves so I can slip my sundress on. I sling my bag over my shoulder, slipping my wallet inside, and forcing my high tops on.

"I'm thinking poptarts or toaster strudels for breakfast. Oh goodness, you're so pretty! Where did you get your looks from? Haha!" She pulls me in for a hug.

I hug her back, holding onto her for a moment. We end up with poptarts for breakfast. My mom drives me to school and parks right in front of the door.

"Alright, first day of senior year. Seventeen. Make some friends and go to parties, okay? I love you." She kisses my head and then I get out of the car.

Immediately, my heart stops. There, standing in front of the door, is Apollo. His back is facing me, but its definitely him. He tenses up and turns around. I quickly turn around and face my mom, who hadn't pulled away yet.

"Oh, uh, sweetie. By the way. There's a boy walking towards you." She throws a thumbs up and drives off.

I open my mouth to call for her, but nothing comes out.

"Harley, right?" A voice pipes up.

I spin around to see Apollo, and I freeze. I knew he'd see my name from the name tag, but, he... remembered it?

"Well, hello, handsome!" Beverly, a girl who's given me hell for years, strolls up to Apollo.

He nods at her, but looks back at me. I could see Beverly's face turn red with anger.

"Don't bother with her, she doesn't fucking speak. Come on, handsome. Let me show you around, since you're obviously new here." She tugs on his hand.

"That's quite alright, uhm, what's your name?"

She smirks, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Beverly."

"Well, thank you, Beverly, but I've got things covered. If you don't mind, I'd like to get to my conversation with Harley here."

He is very polite about it, but, I quickly shake my head no before Beverly looks at me.

"What a whore, already trying to sleep with the new boy? Haha! Your numbers are counting." She grins, knowing she's the start of that rumor, and walks away.

I start to tear up, brushing past Apollo. He tries to reach out for me, or call my name, but I ignore him, and keep walking. Once I get inside, whispers sound all around me.

"Look, its the mute bitch." Someone says loudly, followed by laughter.

I shrug them off the best I can as I grab my schedule and follow it to my first class: English.

My teacher is standing at the door, welcoming people in, but I see her face drop as she sees me.

"Miss. Harley... welcome to my class. You'll be seated at the back, if you don't mind."

Yet another thing I am used to. I nod, walking in to find a nearly empty room. I take my seat in the back, watching as more people trickle in. Finally, the bell rings, just as the last student, who would sit right next to me, walks in.

My heart quickens as his gaze falls on me and then the desk next to mine.

"Well, hello. What's your name?" The teacher smiles, and I can see the tension she gets when she looks at him.

Apollo rolls his eyes before saying his name. Girls blush as he walks past them to take the seat next to me.

"Luck is in the air today, isn't it, beautiful?" He whispers to me as I meet his gaze.

A shiver runs down my body as he grins. He winks before turning to the front of the room.

"Alright, class. Welcome to senior year! As you all know, this is an advanced English class and therefore I will be grading at college level. Now, with the exception of Harley, I'd like to go around the room and say a few things about ourselves. I'm Ms. Nevaeh, you can call me Nev. I like writing, obviously, and I went to college at Oxford."

Students rattle off facts about themselves and I pull out the notebook I have designated for English. I take simple notes of my classmates before writing down a few facts about myself.

"Apollo?" Ms. Nev calls out.

"Hi, I'm Apollo. I'm new to town. I have a brother who is deaf so I'm pretty fluent in sign language. It's just my brother, my mom, and me. We're quite happy, I would think. This is my moms hometown so she was excited to find out she could move back here."

I jot everything he says down before I could forget it. His voice is smooth yet a little raspy. I know I'm in trouble as I feel his presence coming closer to me.

"So you write everything down... because you don't speak?" Apollo mumbles into my ear.

My cheeks flush as I nod, quickly shutting my book.

"Did you write your facts?"

His breath smells like peppermint and my heart melts. I open up to my facts and I let him read them.

My dad died when I was 5 and in the car with him. That's why I don't speak anymore.
My best friend is my mom.
I think I finally have a crush on a boy.

He chuckles as he finishes reading and leans back to his own desk to pay attention. I don't know how he can, but I know I can't. By the time the bell rings for the next class, I hardly remember anything except for his peppermint breath.