𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗩𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 (𝙵𝚞𝚛𝚛𝚢 𝙱𝚡𝙱)

Track 50 | 𝗦𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵

The bike ride to school with Eden was quiet. She asked if I was okay, I told her I was fine, she said she was here for me if I needed her and if I wanted space, she'd give it to me, and that was it. And I was fine with it. It's not like I expected her to do anything that would instantly rid me of my problems. Just a simple check in and some respectful silence would do. The situation was already bad enough, there wasn't any need for complicated matters.

Eden hugged me strongly before parting ways with me to go to her first period class. I was left to fend for myself. In the hallway, people stared. They stared harder than ever before. 

In my life, people have stared at me for different reasons. First, I was the sad lonely foster kid, then I was the football game prostitute, and now I'm the guy with the hearing disability. All my life, eyes have been directed onto me for all the wrong reasons. I've met stares coded with pity, worry, disgust, and even hatred.

"Hey," I hear a familiar voice coming from directly in front of me.

I look up, meeting the only eyes that have ever stared at me with warmth and tenderness.

"Hey," I respond in a weak grumble.

"How are you?"

I shrug. "You?"

"Still grounded. I have until the end of the week, though."

"You're almost free."

"Yeah."

Harvey's eyes widen, noticing the notably obvious piece of technology attached to the side of my face. He reaches forward slowly, careful not to frighten me in the process, and pushes back a few strands of hair that I purposefully moved in front to cover the hearing aid.

"Woah," he sighs, winded at the sight of it.

"Yeah." My eyes fall to the side.

"When did you get it?"

"Yesterday."

He gently traces his finger against the tube, his fingertips briskly grazing the side of my face. His touch is soft and warm. I long to rest my head in his hand, but I hold back. 

"I like it," Harvey smiles, locking eyes with me. His smile could quite possibly cure me of my pain. "Does it work?"

It takes me a second to answer. I'm too distracted by the calming nature of his beauty. "...Not too well."

"But it does work?"

"Yeah. I can hear a little better now, but it won't prevent my hearing from getting worse."

"Hey, it still works," he shrugs, that same signature smile of his never leaving his face. It makes me want to smile, too, despite how gloomy I feel inside. "Little victories, right?"

"Everything sounds like a phone call."

"Why do you only have one? Don't you need two for both ears?"

"They couldn't afford two." My head sinks and I stare at my feet. The tips of shoes are aligned directly opposite to Harvey's, whose are much bigger in size. He's a lot bigger than me in many aspects, especially his heart. I don't know how he does it.