Jesse, who was born mute, has moved from city to city many times before. As she does so again, she considers it pure luck that she gets in the same school as Cheeto and Lewis, two best friends who immediately take her under their wing and don't trea...
"Good morning, Mr. Cass." Everyone responds. I smile, tapping on the back of my phone in my pocket nervously. I feel like I'm in the entirely wrong place right now.
"Everyone, this is Jesse, the new student I told you about." Mr. Cass waits a few seconds for everyone to process the shocking news they knew for a while now, then he adds: "Jesse, you can sit next to Diane, she knows sign language and-"
The student in the front row he's referring to raises an eyebrow. "Mr. Cass, remember what I've told you about my name and pronouns over a year ago?" She- He? They? asks and the teacher shakes his head.
"I do, and remember what I told you? That that isn't a real name and those aren't real pronouns."
"No, you're just transphobic, Sir. I personally don't like your last name, I preferred Mr. Willow, but you got married and changed your name, so I respect that and call you Mr. fucking Cass." The class giggles in the oh-shit-someone-just-roasted-our-teacher kind of way. "So you can refer to me with the name Cheeto and the pronouns ze/zir and it/its, and I don't give a shit if you don't like that because that's what I feel comfortable with and it doesn't harm anyone. Jesus fucking Christ." Di- Cheeto turns its head towards me. "I'm sorry, that happens a lot here. Guess you'll have to get used to it."
I shake my head with an encouraging smile. It's okay. I'm glad you have that confidence. I sign, and Cheeto smiles back.
"I don't hear this often enough. Thanks."
"Okay, enough lovey-dovey conversation, now go sit down next to Diane."
Cheeto literally just said "Don't call me Diane" I think. What bigotry is this? Following an impulse, I take my notebook out of my bag and my pen from my pocket to write Who the hell is Diane? I've only heard of Cheeto until now. and show it to Mr. Cass. He reads it and opens his mouth to say something, but I just walk to the free seat next to Cheeto and sit down before smiling at the young person.
"What did you write?" Cheeto whispers and I hand it the book. It reads the sentence and presses its lips together, trying to suppress a smile. That doesn't exactly work and it just gives up and grins widely as it hands the book back to me. "Thank you."
~
"You definitely have to meet my friend. I really feel like you guys would get along perfectly!" Cheeto says as we exit the classroom after a double lesson of History. "He's not here today, though. Headache, sickness, dizziness the full-on program. Happens about every three or four months for some reason."
Poor guy. I sign with a worried expression.
"Yeah. Honestly, if I were him, I would have given up on breathing." Cheeto laughs. "He'll probably be back tomorrow, though. Nothing, and I mean nothing, can shatter our precious Lewis! No, seriously, we'd need Thanos for that with his magic finger snap. Anyway. I need food."
Meanwhile, we've arrived by a table with two benches at the side of the schoolyard. Cheeto throws its bag onto the table and itself after it. Sitting on the table now, it opens its schoolbag to take out a bag of... Cheetos. I smirk.
Really? I ask.
"Really. Want some?" Cheeto rips the bag open and offers it to me. I shake my head, still smirking, as I sit next to it and open my own box with a sandwich and some carrots. Just in that moment, some guy from my class walks by and shoots me a death glare. Jeez, what have I done to him?
"Freak." He whispers and I can't help but laugh. Really? That's all he can come up with? Kind of sad. "Yeah, now you're laughing. But-"
"But what? In five seconds, she'll be punching you in the face, Tyler? Better be careful, honey, don't underestimate her. You made that mistake with Lewis and remember the bruise his shoe left on your cheek after he hit you with it?" Cheeto chimes in. "Goodness..."
The boy goes entirely red as he seems to remember the incident. "Just wait, bitch." He says and walks away. Just like that.
Cheeto leans back and takes a few Cheetos from its bag as I almost burst into laughter again. Lewis hit him with a shoe. With a shoe. Also, what kind of weak "bullying" tactic is that? Calling someone a freak, getting reminded of something apparently embarrassing and leaving?! And then acting as if that could hurt anybody.
"Sorry about that, Jesse. He's not even funny, he's just... Annoying. And has no life, from what I know." Cheeto interrupts my thoughts and I shake my head.
I find him quite entertaining.
Cheeto laughs and eats another Cheeto. "That's great, I'm glad you liked that clown!" It shouts with a wide smile and way too much enthusiasm.
Cheeto is tall and rather skinny - I'm constantly asking myself how that is possible considering the amount of junk food it seems to eat - with very dark skin and a shaved head. It has a nose piercing, a silver ring on its left nasal wing, and wears black lipstick, eyeliner and rather alternative-style clothes. Its eyes have this sparkle of joy, but at the same time look like those of someone who... How do I say this? Someone who knows what certain things feel like. Things nobody should know.
I'm interpreting way too much again, that's probably not even true. But I'm glad I found a friend so soon.
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