Muted

Chapter One

I was late on a Friday. This is usually a Monday thing, so I was impressed that it happened today of all days. I was running through the school hallways desperately avoiding any cameras or hall monitors. It's not my fault that I was unaware about my alarm clock going off for twenty minutes straight... I can't hear it. And my mother wasn't home.

You're probably confused, let me introduce myself. My name is Rilian Murphy—Riley for short. I'm eighteen years old, I live in a small town in New York, and I'm deaf. I've been deaf for a long time and have little to no memory of a time I could actually hear things, after all I was only a small child when I was officially announced deaf.

From there on out I've been speaking in sign to the people around me. It's not that I couldn't speak, I just chose not to for I couldn't hear my own voice. Why let the people around me get the pleasure of hearing what I sound like when I couldn't hear at all.

On the contrary though, my deafness has never restricted me from sound entirely. I've learned to "hear" by feeling vibrations bounce against my ear drums, toes and fingertips, and on top of that if people didn't know how to sign I took it upon myself to learn how to read lips I may not have the privilege of hearing but that doesn't stop me from enjoying things that make sound. Feeling sound was oddly pleasing anyway.

Well anyway, let's get back to my story.

I only had a minute left until I would be marked tardy and I did not want my mother to receive a phone call about my absence while she was working.

I pushed my legs as fast as they could carry me busted through the classroom door like the kool aid man. I didn't mean to slam the door open as hard as I did, but I knew it must've been very hard cuz I could feel the vibration of the sound through the room.

"And right on time, you're lucky I didn't take attendance yet," Mr. Callaghan joked with his bright pearly whites on full display.

"I'm sorry. It won't happen again," I quickly signed as I rushed towards my seat, feeling everyone's eyes on me.

I quickly placed my stuff down and pulled out my notebooks and pencils. Math. The worst subject to exist. I personally hope whoever invented had a harder life than me. Is that mean?

I looked over to my left to my friend Rebel who was desperately suppressing a laugh.

"Good job, Riles," he signed to me.

"Shut up," I signed back with a scowl on my face.

I looked to the board and started jotting down whatever notes Mr. Callahan had for us as he took attendance, occasionally looking over at Rebel.

"Missed the bus?" He signed.

"Uh-uh," I mumbled the sound.

"Long shower?" He signed, eyebrow raised more quizzically.

I put my pencil down and pursed my lips before shaking my head.

He leaned his head to the side like a puppy, with his big doe eyes studying me.

"My mom wasn't home to wake me up, and I couldn't feel the sound of my alarm clock going off," I signed back slowly with my arms close to me so we wouldn't get caught conversating by the teacher.

Rebel slumped backwards in his chair with his eyebrows furrowed together before signing, "Don't you use the alarm on your phone?"