Hearing Damage

Three

They pull up to school in the morning dreading the day. The truck catches the attention of other students, and when they step out, the stares just get worse. They walk to the office, grab their schedules and a map of the school, and head to their first class. An Asian kid stops them in the hall, talking of course to the both of them. Bella introduces the two, signing his name to Juno. Eric. They shake hands and he points his finger to his ear, questioning. Juno nods her head and gives him a smile. He walks them to class, introduces them to their teacher, and leaves.

"He asked if we needed a shoulder to cry on." Bella says laughing. Juno shakes her head, laughing. She catches the attention of people around her. She forgets that when she laughs, she doesn't sound like a normal person. She goes quiet. Bella gives her a sad look and is about to sign something when class is starting. Bella quickly signs as the teacher talks, something she's learned at a young age to keep Juno from being confused. 

They have PE. Juno almost skips, but Bella doesn't let her. Juno convinces the teacher to let her sit out by acting completely clueless. A perk of being deaf, she calls it. Bella isn't so lucky. Juno watches as her sister plays volley ball with the rest of the girls, across the court is a team of boys playing basketball. She just knows that if Bella gets the ball, she'll end up hitting someone over there. She's proven right when the ball is passed to her sister and she slaps it into the back of some guys head. Juno starts to laugh, but stops herself when she remembers how odd she must sound. Her mood falters a bit.

Bella apologizes to the guy she hit. They talk for a minute until a girl from Bella's team joins them. She obviously doesn't like Bella talking to the guy, she must like him. They go back to playing until the period is over. Juno meets her sister at the door to the locker room after she changes.

"Damn Bells, I didn't know you were so good at volley ball." She teases. Bella hits her shoulder.
"Ready for lunch?" She nods her head and follows Bella to the cafeteria where they're pulled to a table with Eric, the guy from this morning, the guy Bella hit in the back of the head with a ball, the girl who likes said guy, and another chick. They start to introduce themselves to Juno and become confused when Bella starts translating.

"Mike, Jessica, Angela." She points to them as she says their names. Juno nods her head in hello and doesn't try to start any conversation. Mike and Jessica act as if she's contagious. She tries not to be hurt. She appreciates Angela, though, who nods her head and even signs hello. She wonders if she knows more sign language than that but decides not to test the theory when the doors to the cafeteria open and in walks two of the most beautiful people she's ever seen.
A gorgeous woman and a huge man. They don't look like they belong in high school, more like on the movie screen. The girl is tall, skinny, and curvaceous with long, wavy blonde hair. The boy she holds hands with is huge. At least six feet tall, with giant muscles and short, buzzed brown hair. They share a shocking similarity, though. They both have eerie golden eyes and the palest skin she'd ever seen. Even paler than Bella, who's also looking at the two. Then two more people walk in. 

A tiny, pixie like girl. She has short, black hair and a spunky smile. She holds hands with a tall, lanky but muscly guy. He has honey blonde hair that goes to his chin and falls in perfect curls. They too have golden eyes and porcelain skin. Lastly, a tall man with a similar body structure to the boy before walks in. Juno automatically thinks of her sister when she sees him. She imagines them together and the thought surprises her. Where did that come from? This man has bronze hair and a perfect facial structure. And just like the ones who entered before him, golden eyes and porcelain skin. Juno only now notices that Jessica had been talking to Bella, most likely telling her who these people were. When she finishes, Juno taps her shoulder.
"Who are they?" She questions. 

"The two who walked in first, Rosalie and Emmett. They're dating. So are the ones who came in after them. Alice and Jasper. The last one is Edward. They're all adopted siblings, their adoptive father works at the hospital in town. They're the Cullens." Bella falters as she signs Edwards name. Juno gives her a knowing look, raising her eyebrows. Everyone at the table looks away when they talk to each other. Like sign language is something private, intimate. Juno shakes her head and looks down when she realizes the looks they get from Bella's new friends. She feels stares and turns to look around, only to see the Cullens looking at her and her sister. Her heart beat speeds up and she taps Bella's shoulder.

"Why are they looking at us like that?" Juno asks nervously. Bella shrugs her shoulders, dismissing her sister and turning back to her new friends. That was the first sign of change.