quiet | stenbrough ✔️

sensitive is cute

' 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐞 '

friday came around quicker than i had imagined. school was boring, but the losers helped me get through it, one step at a time. i know had three classes that knew i was completely silent, and they easily spread to the entire school, since gossip was a big thing here.

everyone pitied me, giving me sympathetic looks in the hallways or before and after school, but i just ignored them. even one junior asked if i 'wanted to talk about it', as if i would talk to a stranger about something i've had for five years. it's not a sickness. i remember her face when i flipped her off and continued walking, she was looking angry almost, but i didn't seem to care.

i believe her name was myra, but i couldn't be sure, i had only heard her name in attendance and eddie talked about the girl a few times here and there.

"billy! stan is here!" georgie called from the hall, and i sat up on my bed, locking my phone and making my way towards the door. i quickly opened it and said goodbye to georgie, before heading outside.

"hey billy willy." he joked, nudging my arm a bit, and i was about to tell him not to 'be a bev', but something else caught my eye. there was a red scar on the side of his cheek, and a bruise by his neck, and that definitely wasn't a hickey.

bill: what happened??

stan's face flushed as he looked at the text, and back at me. "what do you mean?" he asked, playing dumb. i looked at stan, raising my eyebrows, as if to say, 'tell me the truth'.

"fine, it was my dad. no big deal, he just got mad because i have been studying... you know, jewish stuff. you wouldn't really understand." stan answered, who had stopped walking. "and now i'm getting sensitive." he said regretfully.

bill: it's ok
bill: i think ur sensitive side is cute

i regretted sending that text the second i did, but it was too late. "i..." he let out, and i only nodded. "thanks." he finally exasperated, which made me feel a lot better.

bill: c'mon, let's go to the party

"ok." stan replied, and took my hand. i gasped at first, but after a moment it made my heart feel warm and tingly, so i let him take it.

he opened the passenger door for me, and i placed my hand on my chin, then down in front of him, the sign language way of saying 'thank you'. i could see he understood because he said, "no problem."

what a gentleman. wait, this isn't a date. he's my friend driving us to a party. not. a. date.

i smiled at stan, blushing a bit. not a date. he smiled in return, starting the car, his face reddened as well. not. a. fucking. date.

he talked about nothing in particular. he told me i could text my replies, but i didn't want him to crash, so i declined. he was easy to talk to, when he did all the talking.

he made it seem like i was part of the conversation as well.

minutes later, we both entered the party, and i immediately walked into the kitchen, away from the crowd. i needed to get away, it's not like a could flirt with anyone anyways.

i leaned against the wall, watching as drunk teenagers got another drink from the red punch on the table. "number one rule of parties: never drink the punch."

that rule had saved him multiple times.

he scanned his eye for any of his friends, and found mike, talking to some girl, with dark skin and puffy black hair.

i stepped over to them, hoping they wouldn't mind me joining the conversation.

"oh, hey bill!" mike exclaimed, arm wrapped around the girl. i looked at the girl, as if to ask her why her name is.

"oh, this is carol. my girlfriend." he smiled, and i nodded, putting out my hand for her to shake, and she did, a little weirded out i had spoken yet, and she seemed to be the only person in the school that didn't know.

"oh, carol, bill's mute." mike exclaimed over the load music in the room. carol's face went a bit pale, and she looked at me like everyone else does in the world. a face full of pity.

"well, nice to meet you bill. i'm carol, carol bond. call me the daughter of james bond. it makes me sound heroic, and i think everyone earns confidence like that." she finished, planting a kiss on mike's cheek.

"oh ok. nice to meet you carol bond, daughter of james bond."

i wrote in my notebook, handing it to her and she giggled, before handing it back.

i walked away seconds later, the antisocial person i am tired out by talking. i made my way upstairs, heading towards the bathroom, not knowing exactly where it was, but something caught my eye.

myra. and eddie.

☼ ☼ ☼