Speak To Me

Chapter One: A Loss of Words

There is no safer place than the confined walls of High school. Or, so they say. You know- parents, teachers, politicians and anyone else who is convinced that what is shown in late 80s teen movies is still relevant. Because it's not. High school no longer reeks of overly-excited teens who think these are going to be the best years of their lives. It is a place that strips away individuality. We are only safe if we can pretend long enough that it does not scare us silent. But I am silent- not by choice. By pressure.

So when all faces turned my way, I swallowed my tongue. The entire room fell silent as soon as my lunch hit Casey's lap. Her face burned red, matching her tight ponytail. Her body trembled as she looked down at the chunky tomato sauce staining her shorts and white slip-ons.

"What... the... hell... Edwards!" she said, shoving the pasta onto the floor. Sauce splashed against the tile floor, hitting the surrounding casualties. I gripped the sides of my tray, trying to ignore the creeping feeling that I was about to forget how to breath. I glanced from Casey's shorts to the crowd that was now surrounding us. Silence fell over the large cafeteria room, everyone's eyes looking for what started the commotion.

I didn't speak. Not because I didn't want to, but because I couldn't. Words thawed into a soggy mess on my tongue before they ever got a chance to form an actual sentence.

"Mute Maya isn't going to speak, Cas. Just forget about it," Tyler said. Our star basketball player  tried to wipe her shorts down with his napkin. Pervert.

I closed my eyes, hoping I'd transport myself back into the comfort of the hallway. I wanted this to be over, to say I was sorry. But it wasn't and I'd never apologize to someone as evil as Casey David. Although Casey wasn't that bright when it came to math, she had an expansive vocabulary that exceeded all of our expectations. She had more than one way of describing my best friend, Alisson, as nasty, fat, and a waste. So when I walked by her table today, Casey's colorful belligerence had cut a nerve in my chest. Spilling pasta on her shorts was the closest I was going to get to shouting.

"Let's go, Maya," Alisson whispered. Her small fingers wrapped around my arm, tugging lightly. I looked at Ali and couldn't figure out how she could be so calm. She was too nice- the type of person who would take a verbal beating and walk away without hitting back. Her gray eyes scanned me over as she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth to stop herself from crying. I could feel her fingers tremble as she tried to pull me away. She hated the attention. Her head hung low, trying to cover her face just in case a tear escaped. Before following her, I stuck my tongue out at Casey and left behind a room of dumb-founded teenagers. We walked down an almost vacant hallway toward our lockers. I slid against them, the cool tile chilling my skin after it'd been burning from embarrassment.

"God, Maya. You almost committed social suicide," Alisson said, smacking my arm. She rubbed her eyes, and took a deep breath in her hands. I placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed her gently. She looked at me, her eyes glossed over and tinted red from holding in her tears. I crinkled my nose, and wrote in my notebook:

She deserved it.

"Yeah, well she's right..." She mumbled, placing her hands over her face again. She tried so hard today to look her best for Justin, but nothing would spark her self-esteem. She was a plump girl, with the  beautiful, bright smile and heart. And no one could deny her beauty. Boys were after her, but always played the role of a secret admirer rather than telling her the truth.

I wrote again.

Shut up, Ali. You're beautiful. More beautiful than whatever you think you see...

She smiled, her pearly whites almost blinding me. She slid her hand around my shoulders and pulled me in for a side hug.

"Thanks, Maya. Now, let's get to class before Cas and her gang come after us again," She chuckled, using the lockers to help her back to her feet. I was about half way up before a large body knocked me down. My head smacked against the metal of my locker, causing jolts of pain behind my head. A small yelp left my mouth as I rubbed the tender spot just above my neck.