no strings attached :: a.i.

03 : mute

I waved at all of them but only Anthony waved back, "You can call me Tony. I like your name."

I smiled and opened my mouth, Mrs. Moore looked at me expectantly. I closed my mouth again and pulled out my phone, opening an app. I typed what I was going to say.

"Hi Tony, thank you. I like your hair," an automated voice came out of my phone and Mrs. Moore sighed. Jake gave me a funny look from the other side of the room but Tony just smiled and patted the seat next to him.

I slowly walked over and sat down next to the boy, "So, you don't talk?"

"No, I don't," The voice came from my phone again. I found the app almost two months ago and while it almost defeated the purpose of not talking, it made my life a lot easier. At this point in my life I didn't know if I wanted to talk or not. Even if I did, it wouldn't matter. I couldn't bring myself to actually say words out loud in front of people.

"We are just waiting for one more person," Mrs. Moore took the seat to my right and I shifted away from her and closer to Tony. He didn't move away from me but instead threw his arm around my shoulder. "No touching in group therapy."

Tony moved his arm off of my shoulder and placed his hands in his lap. I looked at his hands and then up at his face. This time when he smiled, I couldn't see the sadness behind his eyes. The door opened behind me and Mrs. Moore stood up, looking away from us. Tony quickly kissed my cheek and I blushed.

"Everyone, this is Kyle," I turned around in my seat and almost fell out of it. Standing in the doorway looking straight at me was none other than my new neighbor. The one that was living across the street in Luke's house. He wasn't supposed to be here and he defiantly wasn't supposed to be living across the street from me. That was the Swindle's house and no one could ever replace Luke.

Mrs. Moore introduced the rest of the group to Kyle and pointed him to his seat. I gulped as he took the chair on the other side of Tony. Mrs. Moore sat down and completed the circle. There was Mrs. Moore and then me, Tony, Kyle, Jake, and then Carly on Mrs. Moore's other side.

"So, since we have two new people joining us today I think we should all introduce ourselves. Tell us your name, age, why you are here, and something interesting about yourself," Mrs. Moore said cheerily. "Why don't you start Carly, we can go in a circle."

"Um, I'm um," Carly stuttered out the first few words and then took a deep breath, "My name is Carly Jasper, I am seventeen years old and I am here because I was anorexic for a long time. I went to a hospital and they said I was getting better so now I am here. Something interesting about me is that I actually love school and I am not happy that this is my last year of high school."

"Very good Carly. Jake?"

"I'm Jake Lancaster and I am here because I am schizophrenic," Jake caught my eye and he quickly looked away, "I am also seventeen and something interesting about me is that I um, love acting."

Mrs. Moore nodded and we all turned our attention to Kyle. I looked over at him to find he was already looking at me. I held his stare until he looked away, focusing on Mrs. Moore.

"My name is Kyle Andrews, I am eighteen. I am here because I am just sorting through some problems. Things have happened recently in my family and my mom suggested trying this," he looked at me again and I looked down at my feet, "Something interesting about me is that I am single. Very, very single."

Kyle was still staring at me and I started to get annoyed. I felt my face get red, "You okay?" Tony whispered in my ear. I looked up to see Mrs. Moore and Kyle had left the room, I hadn't noticed when or why they had left.

I looked up at Tony's worried face and forced a smile. I nodded but he gave me a doubting look. Tears started to well up in my eyes when I heard the door open. "Please don't let it happen again Mr. Andrews" Mrs. Moore and Kyle came in and took their seats.

"What did she say?" Jake whispered to Kyle. He wasn't the best at whispering.

"Okay, Tony it's your turn," Mrs. Moore said, ignoring Jake.

"My name is Tony Hedges," He stopped and looked at me before continuing, "I am nineteen years old and I am here because for the past few years I have been struggling with my depression and anxiety. I got the idea to come here from the counselor at my old high school. Interesting fact about me is that I am studying to become an engineer at Florida State Collage."

Everyone's attention then turned to me. "Why don't you tell us about yourself Paris,"

Mrs. Moore stared at me, waiting for me to speak. Carly giggled and covered her mouth as Jake brought his hand to his mouth and started chewing on his nails. Kyle looked at me expectantly. I looked at Tony and he gave me thumbs up. I shook my head at him and he gestured towards my phone. I pulled it out and Mrs. Moore sighed. She shook her head as I typed in words.

The automated voice broke the silence, "My name is Paris Embry. I am seventeen and I am here because of depression and I am a selective mute,"

"What does that mean?" Carly asked.

I typed into my phone again, "It means I don't talk."

Jake coughed and I heard him whisper 'stupid'. Carly elbowed him in the ribs and Mrs. Moore glared at both of them.

"What is something interesting about you?" Mrs. Moore said, turning back to me.

I stared at my hands, ready to type. I racked my brain but couldn't think of anything. I could tell them my dad had killed my mom. I could tell them about how my grandmother left me to live by myself before I had even finished high school. I could tell them about how I had finally opened up to someone even after everything that had happened in my life. But that person left me, because everyone does. Weather they die or just seem to disappear from your life, everyone leaves in the end.

"There isn't really anything about me that is interesting," The voice coming from my phone shocked me, I don't remember typing that. I look up and Mrs. Moore was writing something on her clip board.

Tony nudged me and I jumped. I turned to look at him and he grabbed my phone. He closed out of the app opened my contacts. The only numbers in my phone where my Grandma's, the therapist's, and Luke's old number. He looked at me confused and created a new contact. Tony typed in what must have been his number and handed back my phone. I stared at it as Mrs. Moore started talking again. I stared at my blank screen for the next thirty minutes as voices floated around the room. I tuned out the words, only there to fill the empty space and got lost inside my thoughts once again.