Aubrey looked everywhere but the white board as the professor lectured, it was her least favorite subject and she counted sheep in her head until it was over majority of the time.
"As you all know I've assigned projects and you need partners, to avoid conflict I've assigned them and they will be posted on the wall after class" She said
Aubrey rolled her eyes, she hated having to work with people she didn't know because of her social anxiety, it was also hard for her to make friends because of it.
Once class was over she waited in the large crowd to see who she was partnered with.
"Josiah Brown?" she whispered the unfamiliar name to herself
"Who's Josiah?" She asked, thankfully someone pointed so him for her. He was facing another way so she couldn't see his face, but she could tell he was attractive from his backside.
"Are you Josiah?" She asked, after getting no answer she tapped him and she was indeed correct about him being attractive. He was tall, brown skinned with light brown eyes and waves.
"Are you Josiah?" She repeated with her head down slightly to avoid eye contact, something she didn't like.
"Could you repeat that? This time with your head up" he asked making Aubrey give him a confused look but she decided to do it.
"I said are you Josiah"
"Yeah, you must be Aubrey my partner for the project? You should keep your head up, too pretty to look down all the time"
"Yeah I'm Aubrey, is that why you told me to look up when I talk to you? Because you think I'm pretty?"
"That and I can't read your lips if I can't see them, I'm deaf" he said casually
"Oh, wait are you joking or?"
"No I'm not joking, who jokes about being deaf?" He asked chuckling a little. Aubrey couldn't help but look at his nice teeth.
"If you're really deaf, why aren't you using sign language?"
"Do you understand or need me to use sign?"
"No"
"That's why"
"So you just read lips really well?"
"Yes, it's something I've been working on for years"
"If you're really deaf say something in sign language"
*something in sign language* he signed without speaking
"What does that mean?"
"Something in sign language"
"Wow so that's why you didn't answer when I said your name?"
"Yeah I cant hear at all"
"Like 0%?"
"0%"
"So how do you talk so well, sorry if that's offensive"
"It's not offensive and I lost my hearing at 11, by then I could talk pretty well"
"Oh, it'll take me a while to get used to talking with my head up but I'll be fine, Here's my number for when you want to start working on it"
"Alright, I'll text you later" Josiah stated as Aubrey walked away
"Who's that?" Josiah's friend, Leah asked walking up to him
"Aubrey, I have a project to do with her"
"Is she ignorant?" She asked referring to the many people who often said or asked weird things about his hearing.
*No, why is that the first thing you ask about people I meet?* He signed to Leah because she knew sign since she'd known him since kindergarten and it was easier to sign than to read lips.
