Listen With Your Heart [May Continue in Future]

Chapter 5

I was laying on my back on the couch, my legs resting on Dad's legs since he was sitting on the couch as well,I was too lazy to move to the other couch; being at the beach all day was exhausting.

Tommy was in the backyard picking up the dog's poop with a small rake and a scooper as part of his punishment; he and I usually switched off but he was grounded so he had to do all of mine and Oliver's chores, poor sod. Tommy came back inside the house and saw the pile of dishes from breakfast and sighed, usually Oliver did the dishes but it was Tommy's job now.

Tommy sighed again, making his annoyance known before walking through the living room and heading to the bathroom; I looked over after Tommy got out of the bathroom and he called my name. Groaning I got up and walked over to my brother; I stopped in my tracks as I saw Oliver taking a nap in his bed and the evil grin on Tommy's face "No c'mon Tom, let him sleep in peace for once; plus you're already in trouble" I said.

Tommy didn't listen though and walked out back out to the backyard; he quickly found a beetle in the grass and came back inside with it, holding his hand so our parents couldn't see what he had. Oliver hated bugs; knowing this Tom put the beetle on Oliver's bed before throwing a paper ball at Oliver's face and running out of the room, pulling me out also. Snowflake watched us from the top of the dresser, as if she knew what was going to happen.

"Are you lads up to no good?" Pops asked, noticing Tom's grin as we fell on the couches. Tom quickly got a straight face "I don't know what you're talking about, Papa ". Tommy burst out laughing as an inhuman scream came from the room followed by a loud crash. Dad and Pops looked at each other but didn't move from the couch, they were used to our prank wars by now.

Snowflake sprinted out of our bedroom and climbed the cat tree that was in the corner of the living room; all big and puffed up, probably scared by Oliver. Oliver stomped out from the bedroom and placing two fingers on his throat to make sure he was making noise he said "I'm going to get you back so good". Oliver must have been furious if he was speaking since it took him so much effort; Tommy though only laughed harder. Oliver lunged at Tommy, and they started rolling on the ground in a wrestling match. I fled into the kitchen so not get caught in the crossfire or get any of the punishment.

"Dad, what is this?" I said picking up a sealed envelope from the Riverside School for the Deaf off of the dinner table; Oliver while he was deaf, didn't go to the deaf school, but the same school Tommy and I went too. He attended that school for two weeks in middle school because of our parents thought it would be good for him, as well as joining those clubs that he mentioned earlier today at the beach, but he complained about it every single day so eventually our parents just put him back with us. The deaf schools were actually residental, like boarding schools.

Dad got up and took the letter as Pops tried to break up Tom and Ollie. "I don't know, I haven't looked at it yet" Dad said as the tore the letter open. I watched Pops give a speech with his hands about how we're brothers and we're supposed to be loving and kind to each other and blah blah blah; nothing we haven't heard a million times before.

"Huh, the deaf school in Fremont, northern California, is closing so they're transferring the students here to Riverside" Dad said to himself. I turned to him "So we didn't get the letter because of Oliver?" "Yes, Oliver is still in their system for some reason" Dad said "It seems because of overcrowding the day students, people like Oliver who went home after school, are going to be turned away this coming school year and will have to be enrolled into public school". "Cool, so Oliver might make some new deaf friends? He doesn't have a lot of friends, hearing or deaf" I said

Dad nodded and pulled out the second paper before reading it "Oh, they're offering special programs and classes for deaf students to try to accommodate" he waved his hand until Oliver looked over, instead of saying anything Dad just held out the paper toward Ollie. Tommy was still getting a talking too from Pops but not listening to a word Pops was saying. "Interested?" Dad asked Oliver once he read the second letter.

"Dad we've tried this, I don't want to go to the deaf school" Oliver said with one hand as the other was still holding the letter. "No you'll stay at your school but be in this program" Dad explained "Like being in Advanced Placement classes but the classes are specially made for deaf students". "I don't know I'll think about it" Oliver said before he glanced at Tommy; he quickly crumpled the letter into a ball and threw it at Tommy; Tommy reacted immediately and chased Oliver around the house. "We couldn't have had daughters could we?" Pops said to Dad who just chuckled.

-

Today was the first day of school and I was woken up by Salt pressing her cold, wet nose to my cheek since Oliver and I traded beds last night because of the bed prank Tom did yesterday; he couldn't find the bug so he didn't want to sleep in his bed. "You went for a run?" I asked sleepily as Tom grabbed his bath towels. "Yup, having a bod this rocking requires work and dedication" he said as he walked to the bathroom to take a shower.

Soon all of my brothers were up, awake, showered and dressed; Ollie was throwing together breakfast for us since our parents were already gone. Without Ollie in the kitchens the bakery just sold pastries and drinks like a normal coffee shop and would be closed by early afternoon so our parents would be home about an hour after we would get home.

I held a handful of fake flowers in my hands discussing with Ollie about which I should wear today as Tommy did the same with different color and different patterned suspenders; Oliver had the best fashion sense so we always went to him for advice, for different reasons though. Tommy wanted to look his best to impress everyone; I wanted to look my best because I wanted to try to make new friends this year.

We all got our wheels of choice and headed to school; Oliver must have been fairly excited to start school again as he kept doing skateboard tricks. In fifteen minutes we were at Riverside High School; we tied together my roller blades and Ollie's skateboard to Tom's bike and went to the office to pick up our class assignments.

Oliver's POV

"Are you going to ask to join that program?" Henry asked as we entered the administration building. "Just give it a try" Tom signed "If you don't like it then you can just leave, what do you have to lose?" I shrugged "Fine, but it's anything like it was in middle school then I'll drop out by the end of the day". "That's the Tomlinson spirit" Tom laughed.