Silence (Troyler Au)

3rd Grade

j a c k i e

I was attending yet another parent teacher conference with the Special Education team at Tyler's school. They were concerned with is social capabilities because of his disability. They want to place him in separate classes away from the other peers in third grade.

I'm concerned that will caused set backs. He has been making quite a lot of progress outside of school. Mostly with Troye.

Troye tells me how he is doing because Tyler tells him almost everything. Unfortunately, Tyler's social anxiety also gives him quite a stutter. Over the years it has dissipated when he talks to Codi and I and more often now Troye. However, it is still very clear that he as one.

"Jackie I know you are worried but I think this is the best plan for right now. Tyler needs a stable environment that the general education classroom is not providing" Tyler's case manager, Ms. Nelson, said. I was getting discouraged with this situation.

I felt like it was the world against me. I am the bad guy. I push to keep Tyler in the general education class and he cries, and I take him to speech therapy and he cries, and I try to explain it to Todd and he doesn't seem worried. Our marriage failed and caused this and we can't even work together to help our son.

"So what will be the plan for the connection that he has already made with his peers. Removing him will be more traumatizing for him. He doesn't do well with change" I argue.

I know I'm right, I know that his current teacher, Mr. Pepper, is too impatient to deal with him. I know that taking Tyler away from Troye in school is the worst idea ever.

"We can arrange for Tyler to be in some special classes with his peers, he simply isn't performing to par in his current placement because he can't communicate" Ms. Nelson said

"Is he failing the classes?" I asked

"No Ma'm"

"Is he causing harm to other students?"

She stares back at me "Well, no ma'm"

"Then I see no reason for removing him and disrupting the consistency in his schooling. You do not have my permission to change is current placement." I state clearly.

"Jackie, I think you are being a bit rash"

"Me!" I say shocked "I'm living with him. I see him here and at home and I see the two worlds. I know my son and how he will react, insisting that moving him is a bad idea is not rash. It's standing up for what I think is right for my son." I bite back. This was ridiculous I came here for a constructive discussion not for my son to be attacked

"Okay lets all calm down" Mr Lester, Tyler's speech therapist called "I agree with Jackie in that removing Tyler is a bad idea. He has made strides with one of his classmates, Troye, and Tyler feels more confident around him"

Finally, I though, someone who was on my side. Who saw what I saw. "Yes Tyler talks to Troye all the time" I agree

Mr. Pepper scoffs "Well they are both in my class and Tyler remains silent. I've never heard him utter a word"

"Thats not the point" Mr. Lester retorted "The point is that taking Troye away will do more harm than good. I was actually thinking we would involve Troye in speech therapy. Work on Tyler feeling more comfortable and we can work on the stutter at the same time"

"Troye parents would need to consent to that arrangement and that could make separation even worse. It could do more harm than good" Ms. Nelson said

"Laurelle and Shaun would support it, Troye and Tyler have been close since kindergarten. If I asked they'll do it" I say. And I know its true. Tyler may not speak to the Mellets directly but he talks to me all the time about how much he likes them. Even Troye's sister and older brother.

"Then I think its a good plan to set in place. We can worry about separation when we get there. Thats not until 5th grade. Hopefully he can solve this by then" Mr Lester said.

I couldn't agree more. I hated these meetings and I hated every aspect of the process. I want Tyler to overcome this. Thats my only wish

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t r o y e

Tyler and I are walking home from school today. Its not very far, but he asked if we could because the bus scares him. He says there are too many people.

He hasn't said anything to me since me left school, which is weird because he talked to me more now. Especially out of school.

"Are you okay Tilly?" I asked him, I started calling him that last year. I don' even remember how I came up with it but he told me he liked it.

"I'm f-fine" he said. But that was a lie because he didn't stutter around me anymore unless we were somewhere he didn't want to be or he is lying. Like how sometimes he stutters at my house because he isn't comfortable around my brother Steele. I don't know why though because Steely is not scary.

I just nod my head and we keep walking, I feel like Tyler is naturally quiet but he also has a lot to say. He is very smart, he helps me with all my work and I help him will talking to other people.

Now at school he wears a blue bracelet and it has words on it like 'yes' and 'no' and 'help'. When he points to them its his way of talking to other people. I looked down on his wrist but I didn't see it there

"Wait Ty, where is your bracelet" I asked him and he turned his face away from me

"I l-lost it" Tyler said looking at the ground. But that weird because Tyler never lost things, he was very organized. He never lost a single thing, he actually helps me remember where I put all my stuff.

"You don't usually lose stuff" I said back and he just walked fast. He didn't like when I asked him lots of questions. Usually by now he would have pointed to the 'please stop' on his bracelet

but he didn't have his bracelet, someone took it.

"Who took it from you?" I asked him. there was no point in him lying, I knew someone had to have taken it. What else could have possibly happened to it?

"Matt did" Tyler grumbled

I turned and pulled Tyler's arm "Matthew just took it from you and no one stopped him?" I said

"Well we were in the bathroom by the cafeteria and I was just going to the bathroom and he push me against the wall and took it and he said that if I told he to stop he would give it back" Tyler's bottom lip began to quiver and his eyes were glossy

"I-I tried to talk and say stop I really did b-but the words wouldn't come out. He said that I was stupid because I didn't know how to talk. then he flushed my bracelet away" Tyler said

"Tilly thats bullying we have to tell an adult. Remember thats what the teachers say, we have to tell your mom or a teacher or something" I say to him, and I see the panic on his face right away. Its the same look he gets in the lunch line at school or when someone walks up to us and says hi. He was scared and an-xious. (My mom just taught me that word).

"No no Troye its okay. I have a different one at home" Tyler said "We don't have to tell anyone"

Maybe he was right...if he had another one and he didn't want to tell the teacher than I guess he didn't have to. "But the blue one was nice" I said

"I have a red, green, and pink one at home" Tyler smiled "you can pick the color I wear next" Tyler smiled at me

"I really think we should still tell your mom" I said quietly as our feet shuffled across the side walk. This walk home was talking forever. I wanted a nutella sandwich and my couch.

"No Troye its okay" He said again quickly "Really its okay lets go watch a movie at my house"

I nodded in agreement as we rounded the corner of my block. Tyler's house was a bit further but that is where he wanted to go so...that where I wanted to go too. 

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A/N: Double update, surprise! I hope you liked it. Any comments/things you want to see happen?