The Secrets We Keep

In September 4-drafts

Amira POV*

After Hailey and Jay drop me off I walk to the office to get my schedule and locker number. Then I walk to my homeroom class to listen to the announcements. After announcements I walk the short distance to my first class and then to my second . I take a another glance down at my schedule before walking to the back of the classroom to take a seat. " Hello Class I'm Ms. Garret" she says turning around and looking at me. " You girl in the back you weren't here yesterday, What's your name?" asks everyone looks at me. "Lucia Estevez but I go by Amira" I say shyly.

"What was so important yesterday that you had to miss my class" she asks writing something on the board. " I - um" trying to find the right words. " stand up and speak" she says turning back around. I stand up take a deep breath and talk. "My mom died" is all I can get out, I watch as all the kids faces turn empathetic. " sorry about your-, you can sit down" she say feeling bad for asking. " no that's not what I meant" I try saying. " so you lied about your mother then" she asks. " No she's dead but my um , my the family in living with the mom just had a baby girl, her names Jaykes" I say sitting down feeling like I just told them way to much of my life story.

As soon as class was over I bolt out of class and to my lunch tables outside. I sit outside on the bench by myself when this boy walks over to sit at the end of the table. He didn't say much just smiled at me and ate his food. When lunch was over I went to my next class which that boy was in. I pick a seat in the back a couple desks away from him.

At the end of the day I walk out to the buses. I get on the bus and the only seat available is across from him. This is really weird I think to myself. The bus has a few stops on the way to my neighborhood. At the final stop I get off and the boy follows. As I'm walking to the house I stop and turn to face him. " I'm sorry but you been around me all day and haven't said anything". " sorry" he says and signs. " your deaf " I say blandly. He laughs before saying " I'm hearing impaired but yeah deaf is one word" he say and signs as we walk to my house together. " Sorry" I say. " it's okay I'm only parochially deaf in one hear" he says as we stop at my house. " thanks for walking with me, see you tomorrow" I say opening the door.

"Hailey" I say grabbing a snack from the kitchen. I take the apple up to my room. I get up the stairs and walk past the nursery to find Hailey asleep in the rocking chair holding Jaykes. I walk to my room to put my backpack down and wash my hands. Then I come back and lift Rue from her arms still holding onto the small baby blanket. I hold her as I walk back to my room. I play with her before I smell something terrible. I pick the baby up and walk back into the room to wake up Hailey. " When did you get home?" she asks. "Like 15 minutes ago, she smells" I say holding out Rue away from me. Hailey laughs as she gets up to changes her diaper. " you hungry I could make you something" she ask rocking Rue back to sleep. "No I ate an apple already" I say. "So how was school " she ask walking to my room. "Sign language is that for a class or something" Hailey says as Rue finally falls asleep. " no I met this kid in my last two class he's-". "he" she says stopping me. " yeah he's on my bus and he's deaf in one ear" I say. " does this boy have a name" she asks. " nope don't know it and he doesn't know mine either" I say. " okay well We'll be downstairs if you need us" she says waving Rues hand bye as she walk out of the room.

Jay POV*

"Hailey were back" I say watching the boys go upstairs. "in hear" I hear her say from the kitchen. "hi baby" I say lifting Rue out of Hailey's arms. "So how Auggie do in school" Hailey asks. "He said he had fun but his teacher told me he cried at lunch and he sat on the bench at recess. We should talk to him" I say. " Yeah Amira talked to me about her day she said she met this boy on the bus and he walked her home" she says. "a boy" I say as Hailey shakes her head yes. "calm down Jay they just met she said they just talked". "good because I don't need to have that talk" I say letting out a breath as I sit next to Hailey on a barstool. "It's not like you were going to talk to her about that subject" she says. "You don't know that" I say back. "We don't have to worry about it, not yet" she says. "Jaykes is never going to leave daddy right" I say in a baby voice. "She can't talk, but she can poop" She says getting up. "Where are you going Hailey" I say. "To talk to my boys" she yells from the stairs. "don't leave me" I plead but she doesn't listen. "You can do it Jay" she says walk up the rest of the stairs.

Hope y'all like this chapter. Thanks for reading.

-Cici