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TONI POV:

"Hey kiddo. You done lying to yourself?" Mom ask. "N-n-n-n-n-." I stop myself. "You can't even get a sentence out." She laughs. "Leave!" Cheryl says pushing her out. I sit down on the stairs. Mom leaves and Cheryl walks over to me. "I-I'm s-s-sorry." I whisper. I feel like such a fucking idiot! I can't even talk to my own mother. "It's ok." She whispers. "N-n-no." I stutter out. "Come on. Let's go back to the movie. We can talk about this is a bit. You need to relax." I nod. We go back to her room and finish the movie. I can't help but think about that moment over and over again. "I-I wi-wish I-I w-w-was m-m-mo-more more n-n-normal." I say quietly. She looks at me. "You're perfect." She whispers. "Yes sometimes it's frustrating listening to you talk, but we get through it and I love you for trying." I look at her. "I did it again didn't I?" I nod. "Damn it!" I smile. "I-I l-love y-y-you." She kisses me. "C-Cameron i-is a-ab-about to g-go b-ber-ber-serk." I say pointing to the movie. She smiles.

"Toni! What's the answer to number 10?" Mr. Howard ask. I look at Cheryl. She nods. "T-t-thr-r-ree f-f-fourt-t-t-teen." I say quietly. "Can you repeat that?" He ask. I shake my head. "I didn't hear you." I look at him. He nods. "Never mind. Someone else hear what she said so you can at least pretend like you knew the answer!" He ask looking around the class. "314." Cheryl says. He nods. "Thank you. Someone besides Toni was paying attention!" The bell rings. "Finish this for homework. Toni can I talk to you?" Everyone leaves. I go up to his desk. "I didn't mean to call on you." I nod. "I-i-it's ok." I whisper. "I just need kids to come out of their shells." I nod. "T-t-tell C-c-Cheryl t-t-tha-t." He nods.

"You're luckily 18. So legally she doesn't have any control over you." My guidance counselor tells me. "Who are you living with now?" She ask. "C-Cheryl." She nods. "I-I-I d-d-don't h-h-h-have a-any-w-where e-e-e-else s-safe t-to g-g-go." I tell her. "You guys are 18 it's ok. I can't stop you I just need somewhere to send your mail. Like grades and stuff. Should I send them to Cheryl's?" I nod. "Have you been to your search therapist this week?" I nod again. "You really don't talk unless you absolutely have to." She smiles. "I get. My daughter has a lisp. She only talks when she has to." She says. "I-I o-o-on-n-ly t-t-t-talk t-t-t-to C-Cheryl t-t-the m-mo-most." She nods. "I get it." She smiles. "C-ca-can I-I-I g-g-g-go?" I ask quietly. "Yeah! I'll talk to you later." I nod and we go to lunch. I sit next to Cheryl. Her and Veronica are talking about something stupid. "Different color apples taste different right?" Cheryl ask. "W-w-w-what d-do y-y-you m-m-mean d-dif-different-t c-c-colors?" I ask looking at everyone. "Red and green apples taste different!" She says. "I-I-I t-t-thought t-that th-they w-w-were a-a-all y-y-yell-yellow." She shakes her head. "What color is her shirt?" Betty ask pointing my Cheryl's shirt. "Y-y-yellow?" I say confused. "Oh my god." Cheryl whispers. "W-w-what?" She takes a deep breath. "Are you color blind?" She ask quietly. I shrug.

Kevin sits in front of me in the library. I wait for him to say something and he doesn't. "Kevin what do you want?" Cheryl ask breaking the awkward silence. "I need to talk to Toni about the musical." I shake my head. "What do you mean?" He ask. "W-why w-w-wou-would i-I g-g-g-get i-in- in f-f-front o-o-of a-a f-full a-aud-audience a-a-and s-s-speak w-w-when I can't- wh-when I-I c-c-can't f-f-form a-a sen-sentence?" I somehow get out. "I'm not asking you to be in the musical! I want you to be the dance captain." I shake my head. "Why?" He ask. I look at Cheryl and shake my head. "It's too much talking Kev." She whispers. "We can come up with a plan." I look at him. "You write down notes and a plan for the rehearsals and you'll show everyone the dances. I'm directing the musical so I'll be there to speak for you." He explains. "I-I d-d-do-don't like a-anyo-o-one b-being my- my voice." I say quietly. "I do it all the time." Cheryl says quietly. "Y-y-y-you're you're d-d-different." I smile. She kisses my hand. "Well, maybe Cheryl, you can do it?" He ask. "No, I'm the lead." She says. "N-n-not-not y-yet." I say quietly. She hits my shoulder. "Toni, I think you should do it. You need to step out of your comfort zone." I look at her. "I-I c-c-c-ca-can-can't." I say before getting up. "I-I-I h-h-have m-m-m-ma-math."

CHERYL POV:

Toni walks off. "What happened to her?" Kevin ask quietly. "What do you mean?" I ask. "Her stutter." He adds. "She was in a car accident a few years ago and she never recovered properly." I say quietly. "She suffered a really bad brain injury. She has a stutter before but not as bad as it's gotten." I explain. "She doesn't like talking about it. So don't tell anyone." He nods. "Of course." I get up and to to my next class. After that Toni meets me at my car when school is over. I pull her into a kiss. "Hey baby." I smile. "H-hey." She smiles. "You guys hungry?" Sweet Pea ask coming over to us. "Yeah." He nods. "Let's go to Pop's." He says. "W-w-we h-have t-t-to b-be q-q-q-qui-quick." I look at Toni. "I-I h-ha-have t-t-to g-ge-get some- get some st-st-stuff f-f-from m-m-my m-moms h-h-h-house." She says quietly. "I-I w-was a-b-about to t-tell y-y-you, b-b-b-but K-Kev i-in-inter-interrupted u-u-u-us." She explains. I nod. "I-I n-n-n-need a r-r-ride." She says quietly. "Yeah."

I help Toni packs the rest of her clothes. "What?" She ask slowly. "You never told me your mom was white." I whisper. She thinks for a second and nods. "I'm sorry! I've only met your dad." She smiles. "I-it- it's o-ok." She says looking at me.

I lie in front of Toni. I look at some of her work.  "Number 7 is wrong." I say quietly. She looks at me. "Lincoln led the states to defeat the Confederacy." I explain. "Not Andrew Jackson." She changes her work. "C-o-f-e-d-e-r-a-c-y." I spell out for her. "C-y." I correct her. She looks at me. "Sorry." I look down. She points to another question. "Toni, we learned this is 8th grade." I say quietly. "I can't give you all the answers. Look it up baby." She nods and grabs her phone. "Computer! You get way to distracted on your phone." I take her phone and hand Toni her computer. "I know I'm babying you but we've been working on this for 2 hours now." She nods. After about another 20 minutes we finish her homework. "I-I'm s-s-sorry." I shake my head. "Don't be. I get it." I sit up. "You haven't been able to retain a lot of information at once since the car accident." She nods. "I-it's h-hard w-w-with-without m-m-my d-d-dad." I nod. "I know." She pulls me into a kiss. I cup her cheek and kiss her back. "D-do y-y-you w-w-wa-want t-t-to y-you k-know?" I smile. I pull her closer. "Do you want to be on top or bottom?" I ask quietly. "B-b-bottom." I look at her. I lie her down. "Do you want to try anything new?" I ask quietly. "L-l-l-like w-what?" She ask. "Strap on." I suggest. "Vibrator?" She looks up. "Yeah?" She smiles. "Vibrator." I kiss her neck. "Can I take off your pants. "Y-y-yes." She whispers. I take off her pants.

I walk into Toni's class. "Hi!" The teacher says. "You're not Mr. Johnson." I say confused. "No! He's out today I'm Ms. Holiday." She smiles. "What are you doing here late?" She ask quietly. "I'm here for Toni." I whisper. "She has a appointment and I have to drive her." She nods. "Toni, you have to go." Toni gets up. "She doesn't talk much." Ms. Holiday says. "She's shy." I say. Toni comes over. "Ready?" I ask. She nods. "I-I n-n-need t-t-t-t-the h-home-homew-work." She whispers. "Don't worry about it! I'll be here in class tomorrow, I'll help you catch up." Toni and I go to the car. "You ok?" I ask quietly. "W-w-where a-a-are w-w-w-we g-g-go-going?" She ask. "The eye doctor remember?" She nods. "W-wh-why?" She ask confused. "You think my shirt is yellow!" I look at her. She nods. "We'll be late." I whisper. "Y-y-y-you're t-the o-o-one b-b-behind t-t-t-the wh-whe-wheel!" I drive off and head to the eye doctor.