Aiden Makes A Daring Play

Chapter One: Relocation.

Sometimes I wonder what it's like. I wonder what it's like to hear the birds chirping, if a child's giggle would fill me with as much joy as they say. I wonder if music brings as many emotions as my few friends tell me it does. I look outside my window on the second story floor of my house, and wonder what the world sounds like. I turn as I feel my bed dip and smile at my mom as she yanks my hair, something she has always done to show her affection. I grumble and fix my hair as she grins. I watch her hands as she tells me dinner is ready and I nod before tumbling down the stairs, smirking at my dad before ducking, knowing he likes to do the same thing as my mom. My mom had married Nathan when I was 3, 15 years ago, having met him when I was diagnosed with my hearing loss two years before that. Making him the only dad I knew. I sat down at the table after moving some boxes aside and licked my lips as I eyed the meatloaf. My mom was the best cook in the world, hands down. I looked into the kitchen and rolled my eyes, noticing everything was unpacked in there first, leaving boxes littering the hallways and rooms. Today was the second night in our new house and both Nathan and I had betted that moms pride and joy would be unearthed first. We had moved back to New York for Nathan's job, he had been offered a promotion in his old hospital and I had told them it would be silly to pass it up. I hadn't made many friends in New Jersey anyway, so why not.

I tucked into my meatloaf and closed my eyes in bliss, loving how delicious it was. I quickly finished and drank some of my milk, watching Mom and Nathan talk. She started signing when she realized I was paying attention and told me they were discussing my new school, and deciding if they wanted to drop me off or if I wanted to walk. She told me it was only 4 blocks away so I shrugged and quickly signed that I'd rather walk. She looked unsure but my dad squeezed her shoulder and gave her a smile, saying that he didn't see why not.

I didn't see the harm, and the walks would probably be nice. Thinking about it made me wonder what school would be like. I didn't imagine it would be terrible, but I wasn't looking forward to the pity I would probably get. It's a side effect of my life, but it does get old. It does make me wish some things were different; but as my mom loves to say "We're alive, and we're together: Why not smile and know it's enough?".

She's right, I know she is. But this is my senior year and it makes me hope that something will be different this year. That I'll make friends, and that I'll be treated like any other senior kid in high school.

My mom pulls my attention away from my thoughts with a tap on my shoulder and signs to ask if I'll help her clean the kitchen. I nod and grab my plate, make my way to the kitchen and duck when I pass my dad again, smiling when I see him chuckle. I finish up and hug my mom before making my way upstairs. I sigh as I grab my latest book and plop down on my bed; not realizing that I'm exhausted or so close to falling asleep.

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The rest of our weekend is spent trying to get organized and now it's Monday morning as I stand in the shower and finish rinsing off. I smile as I bend down and pick up the slip of paper on the floor in front of the door, already knowing what it would say. I open it anyway and know my dad wouldn't break such an old habit, no matter where we leave. When I was old enough to start showering and getting ready for school by myself, my dad would slip notes under my door in order to say goodbye to me, and to tell me to have a good day. He's a cheese; but it's easy to see why my mom fell so hard for him all those years ago.

I slip into my room and get dressed in my usual attire; a tee shirt, jeans and beat up vans. I grab my bag as I head down the stairs and kiss my mom on the cheeks as thanks for the breakfast I get every morning. She asks how I slept and I smile as I tap my mouth and sweep my hand down in an arc, shrugging. I had slept fine.

I finished eating and grabbed my jacket and bag again before heading out, not forgetting the directions that my mom had made sure to drill into my head this whole weekend. The woman really should worry less, the school was only 4 blocks away.