A Change of Heart

Italicized = Signed

...

Jealousy. Loneliness. Hatred. Resentment.

Those were all things Sayo felt toward Hina. Since very early on those feeling developed and festered until what they were today. There was a good reason behind it. At least, to Sayo there was. In reality, it was more of an understandable reasoning.

Hina was born deaf. Because of that, she was always the center of attention. Sayo felt left out. At first, she didn't mind. She enjoyed helping Hina out. But, seeing Hina get praised for the simplest of things while she barely got anything really got to her.

Sayo soon started ignoring Hina. It started toward the end of elementary school. Sayo was fed up with Hina. So, she simply ignored her. She stopped signing and would only speak. She forced Hina to talk if she wanted to communicate. They drifted apart quickly.

Hina was just sad. She didn't understand why Sayo suddenly seemed to hate her. It hurt a lot, but she didn't say a word. She just silently accepted it.

Sayo still knew how to sign. She knew exactly what Hina would sign. Sayo just acted like she forgot after a while. But, she knew.

It was now their first year in high school. Sayo finally had the opportunity to not go to the same school as Hina. She immediately took it, though she was informed if problems arose for Hina she would need to transfer to her school. Sayo hoped dearly nothing would happen. She enjoyed the freedom of being herself.

Hina seemed fine. She always seemed happy. Nothing seemed wrong. That was good for Sayo. She wanted it to stay that way. She was done babysitting her and treating her like a helpless child. If Hina couldn't stand up for herself that was her problem. Sayo didn't want to deal with it.

...

Things seemed to be fairing well for the both of them. Sayo was happy with her school. She was no longer in the shadows of Hina. She was her own person again. Not just the sister of a deaf kid.

Though, that didn't last for long. It was already their last year of high school. Hina seemed a bit more reluctant to go. Sayo would constantly be glaring at her, trying to express how much she did not want to have to transfer out.

Sayo still held all those feelings of hate toward Hina. Nothing had changed. She doubted anything would change.

It was a boring day after school. Sayo was in the student council room. It was just her at the moment. The others were all running different errands around the school.

There was a knock on the door. Sayo glanced over. She was confused. Lisa was at the door. Why? Why was she all the way over here?

"Do you need something?" Sayo asked.

"We need to talk." Lisa stated.

"Now?"

"I asked them to give us privacy." Lisa nodded and sat down across from Sayo.

Sayo sighed, "Alright. What do you want?"

"Do you know anything that's going on with Hina?"

Sayo visibly tensed at the name, "No. Why should I care what goes on with her?"

"She's being bullied, Sayo."

"So? If she can't handle it that's her fault. I'm done with taking care of her." Sayo growled.

"Why do you hate her so much?" Lisa was shocked by how aggressive Sayo was. She knew that Sayo disliked Hina but she didn't think it was this bad.

"Because she took everything from me! She got all the attention. Everything was revolving around her. I was just her helper. No one seemed to care about me. It was all about her. And it still is." Sayo was losing her composure. This was the first time she had ever expressed these feeling aloud.