When They Call My Name

A Little Different

Whenever she brought it to the shop, or they were hanging out at her place, he would always find a spot on the instrument to rest his hand on and enjoyed the feeling.

"Smartass!" She laughed. Andy could read lips, but Juliet knew he preferred signing, so she took the time to learn it. It was a thoughtful act that Andy would never forget.

He and Juliet met while he was doing an apprenticeship at the shop Juliet was working at. They became close friends and once Andy got his license, and built up a clientele; the two branched off and started their own shop together called Leather Wings. Juliet liked the name cause it was badass, Andy liked it because it was a batman reference.

"Can we get Indian?" Andy asked with the sweetest smile he could muster. It wasn't necessary, but he was also being a little shit moments ago, so it didn't hurt.

Juliet rolled her eyes dramatically. She opened her hand vertically so that her palm was facing an opposite wall and tapped her thumb against her chest. "Fine."

Andy shook his open hands rhythmically, the sign for applause, and Juliet snorted in a way that Andy was sure was probably unattractive- but you know... the whole deaf thing-.

"I'll call the order in. You want your usual?" She asked, grabbing her phone.

Andy made a fist and bent his wrist up and down a few times. "Yes." He was in the mood for curry.

"Hi, I'd like to ma-." Juliet turned away, her lips no longer in view, so Andy had no idea what was being said. That was a huge part of his life. Catching bits and pieces of conversations even when he's not trying to 'listen'. A lot of people tended to forget that they needed to face Andy when talking. Hell, even his own parents forgot on occasion.

He understood. Sometimes he would go to sign something to a person who didn't know ASL, which was always funny and a bit embarrassing on his part.

He turned back to his sketch book and continued drawing tattoo designs. He was going to do a special for valentines day, and wanted a splash sheet done in time. Andy loved designing tattoos so much. It spoke for him. Art said everything he couldn't.

Andy didn't hate being deaf, he also had no interest in cochlear implants. His parents had offered to pay for it when he was in high school, but made it clear it was up to him no matter what. He was happy with his life and who he was. Andy didn't need to change just to make things easier on other people.

A balled up scrap of paper bounced off the side of his head, making him jump. 'What the fuck?' He thought, turning to see the tattoo parlor's receptionist, Katie standing there with a man who looked to be a few years older than Andy.

"He's a walk in, do you want him since you don't have any appointments today?" She asked. Katie had worked at Leather Wings since the start. She was still learning sign language, but she could understand most of it whenever Andy or Juliet signed, she just struggled with actually signing herself.

The two other tattoo artists and the piercer at the shop only knew a little sign language, but Andy always spoke while he signed to them to help them learn.

Andy nodded, and stood up. "Let me set up my station." He replied, but before he could verbally ask the man for a reference photo or a general idea of what he want or even make move for that matter, the man grimaced. "Don't you have an artist that can actually talk normal and understand me?" He asked with a huff, clearly thinking Andy wouldn't know what he was saying.

Katie looked horrified by the question, but Andy just sighed. He was used to this. "I can read lips, and I can speak, sir." Andy replied with a tight smile. Usually people were a bit more kind with their delivery of ableist bull shit, but he's definitely had more than a few assholes in his life.