Silent Love [Watty Awards 2013 Finalist]

Chapter 2

I tugged my arm, trying to get out my wrist from his death grip, but he was too strong.

“You’re cute, you know that?” My face flamed in embarrassment. He thinks I’m cute. Yes!

“What are you happy about all of a sudden?” He asked, smugly. He looked as if he knew something that I didn’t. I dismissed it since I barely knew the kid.

The girl, Brooke that had called Shane didn’t look happy that I was walking away with him. She shot me a glare as we walked further away and around the building. I followed Shane across the playground to the field, all the while Shane was still pulling me. He sat down under the bleachers and I followed suit.

“Taylor, do you want some?” Shane asked, holding out a bottle of water to me. I shook my head and frowned. “Why are you not talking?” I lowered my eyes to the ground. Why was he being so difficult?

He sighed, irritated. “How long are you going to play the shy girl act?” I shrugged my shoulders, still looking at my shoes. I was close to losing it. I didn’t want to be here. I didn’t want to talk to him. Hell, I didn’t even want to be near him.

“Great. Now you’re just going to be impossible,” Shane said.

How am I the one being impossible? I didn’t want to come here. He didn’t even have to drag me over here. What an ass. I would have been much happier eating in my car alone. Well that wasn’t true. I would have been happier being at home in my safe haven of a room.

He noticed my annoyed yet upset expression and raised his eyebrows in confusion. After staring at me for a few moments, he grinned wickedly at me. “You want to ditch the rest of the day? Let’s go get Starbucks.”

How did he know I loved coffee? Was I that easy to read? Starbucks was the ultimate form of happiness. I just loved their coffee. Without it, I don’t think I would still be here.

Noticing my changed expression, he said, “Great. You like coffee. Come on then, I’ll drive.”

As we drove through the gates of the school, he turned on the radio. So he likes 1 Direction eh? I looked over at him as a painful expression came over his face as he struggled to change the station. I smiled, and quietly laughed.

“My sister changed the station,” he mumbled, sheepishly.

We finally reached the best place in the entire world. The one place where love was in a cup. You could drink it, and feel the love spread within you.

“Lori, what are you doing here so late? I had your coffee ready and waiting and you didn’t show!” I shyly smiled at Laura, the barista girl, and continued to the table I always sat at.

“Looks like you’re a regular here,” Shane said. “What do you want—“

“Oh, sorry to interrupt. Here Lor, I brought your favorite,” Laura cheerily said. “Well, well, well who do we have here?”

“I’m Shane, a friend of Taylor’s”

“Taylor Lewis, when were you going to tell me you had a really hot friend?” I blushed bright red, and held my face down. Shane, realizing the awkward moment asked for a hot chocolate and Laura walked away quickly to go make it.

“So you like coffee?” I turned and looked back at Shane. He was smiling nervously, his lip pulled up in sort of half-smile. I nodded to answer his question.

“You’ll have to tell me what you ordered so I-“he stopped abruptly, and looked shocked. “Uhhh, I mean. Not tell but, err. Oh shit, sorry I wasn’t thinking,” he stuttered, grimacing as he tried to explain himself.

I smiled and relaxed a little. There was something about him that just seemed to make it impossible to be offended by him. “Fuck, I really know to put my foot in it, eh?” He laughed.

I shrugged and shook my head. What he said didn’t bother me actually. Not everyone knows how to act or what to say in front of me. It was understandable that he didn’t really know what to say.

“Anyways,” he shook his head and frowned, as if he was chastising himself in his head. “You should come to my party this weekend. Brooke won’t be there.” Was everyone having a party?

I was never invited out, probably due to my lack public schooling and friends, but did I want to go? I shook my head.

“Why not?” He asked, a bit whiny. I just shrugged, and drank the rest of my coffee.

. . .

After leaving Starbucks and getting my car back from school, I drove to dance practice. I sure hated coming here but I was only doing it for one reason.

“Taylor,” Coach Libby called. “There’s a new dancer starting today. She has been fully trained in ballet. Please show her around before you begin practicing.”

I grimaced. A new girl? Great. Just what I needed. Another girl for Brittney to rope in and humiliate me. Turning around, I walked in to the reception room, grabbing a Gatorade from the fridge. A young girl walked through the door, Coco Chanel duffel hanging from her shoulder. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun and she was wearing baggy sweats and a tight tank top.

I waved at her, signaling for her to come towards me.

“You must be Taylor Lewis,” she said as she studied me.

I nodded and motioned for her to follow me. I took her to the locker room to put her stuff down. She followed me as I showed her the different studio rooms we practice in and also the break room that was stocked with snacks and drinks.

“What style of dance do you study?” She asked me. “Oh, by the way, I’m Stephanie Nickels.”

I smiled and nodded at her.

“Hey, are you deaf?” Stephanie asked, reading me as if she was trying to figured me out. I shook my head at her. That was the first person to ever ask me that.

“Well if you’re not deaf, you must be mute.” Again, I shook my head at her but she continued, “I know you don’t talk. Brittney uhhh…Brittney Price told me.”

As if on cue, I turned red in anger that girl was going to turn against me. I began to stomp away from her and head into the locker rooms, but she grabbed my arms as if telling me to wait.

“It’s okay. I’m not going to treat like they all do. My sister is deaf and mute. I completely understand.”

I looked at her in astonishment; she wasn’t going to tease me? But she does think I can’t talk. It’s okay though, I’d rather that, they have her know I can and try to get me to talk. My mother put me into therapy for it but it never worked.

“Do you sign? I can sign too.”

Shakily lifting my hand, I signed back ‘yes.’

She smiled and signed back ‘Great. I think I’m going to like it here.’

. . .

AN: to the side is Shane. I hope i didn't bore you to death. Comment, Vote, Fan

Thanks,

T.L.