Silence

1

Everyday was a struggle. Mina sat on her bed, her mind racing with thoughts. It was her second year of high school and she hoped she could just have a normal year. Her older brother had graduated last year, leaving her alone completely. She didn't want to go back. She didn't want to be bullied anymore for being different.

The bullying hadn't been a problem before. No one usually talked to her. Mainly because she couldn't hear them, and she was terrible at lip reading since she had given up on speech training years ago. She didn't know what she did to all of a sudden get bullied, but they were there. It haunted her, having to be hyper focused on everything around her, not because she couldn't hear, but because she was terrified of being caught off guard and thrown into the lockers again.

Her father walked up to her room, flicking the light on and off, catching her attention. Mina looked up, watching him sign that it was time for school. She gave him a nod, grabbing her backpack and heading out with him.

At school, she had no friends. She used to have a friend, Sana. But she moved away when they had both hit middle school, leaving her completely alone.

Sana was her best friend since diapers since they lived right next to each other. Mina adored her as they grew up, her best friend being the only kid to learn sign language with her just to be able to talk to her. The two were practically inseparable during school and outside. Only leaving one another for dinner and bedtime. She defended her from everyone and made sure Mina was always happy.

Mina wished she had a friend like that now in high school. Everyone had someone in the school. And she had no one. She liked being alone, but at the same time, she wished she had someone she knew was there for her besides her parents. Someone that could just be within arms reach in case she needed someone to vent to, or just to know they were her friend.

She walked into the office, getting her schedule and being lead to another part of the office, getting an assigned interpreter for her classes. She hated having to have someone to rely on. It made her feel like a burden, and wished she was normal. Wished she could hear like everyone else. Heck, she would've even accepted partial hearing at this point, but no. She was born completely deaf into this cruel and judgmental world.

As she walked the halls to her first class, she was focused on trying to find the classroom, that she didn't see them coming. The two girls that made her first year a living hell. They shoved her into a locker, grabbing her shirt collar and holding her up against the metal wall. Mina could only see lips moving, and couldn't understand a word that was being said. She could barely register anything before the taller girl threw her to the ground.

"Hey!" A voice shouted from down the hallway. The two girls immediately stopped tormenting Mina, running from the voice. A smaller girl came running towards her, sliding to a stop on the tile floor. She knelt down in front of Mina, carefully touching her shoulder. "Are you okay?" She asked. Mina flinched, her breathing ragged from the sudden touch. She didn't know this girl, and had no idea what her intentions were.

"What are you doing to her?" A male voice shouted. The girl looked up at the new voice, seeing him walk over to her. "What did you do to her?" He asked, his voice much more terrifying now.

"N-Nothing!" The girl frowned. "I just saw some girls throwing her on the floor and about to beat her up... So I-I stopped them." She explained. The man knelt next to the girl, shaking his head.

"Again?" He signed. Mina nodded her head sheepishly, still weary of the girl in front of her. "What's your name" He asked the girl.

"Chaeyoung." She answered quietly.

"Chaeyoung helped you. She scared them away." He signed to Mina. The younger girl watched as Mina focused completely on his hands, her brain clicking immediately. Mina was deaf. That was why she had flinched when she reached out and touched her. It only made sense that she had scared her that way.

"I didn't mean to scare her." Chaeyoung frowned while watching the man help Mina stand up.

"She'll be okay. She's not used to people helping her that aren't me." He sighed. Chaeyoung stood up next to them, worry still on her face as she saw Mina fixing herself. He reached his hand out to Mina, waiting for her to respond. Chaeyoung had thought the two were together, and expected her to put her hand in his. But was shocked when Mina handed over a paper.

"You two aren't together? Or are you?" Chaeyoung asked.

"No." The guy chuckled. "She's like a sister. I was friend's with her brother before he graduated." He explained. "Name's Jungkook." He smiled while extending his hand out. Chaeyoung nodded, shaking his hand. "I'm usually in a few of her classes." He smiled. "And usually sitting next to her, because I can sign." He explained.

"Oh." Chaeyoung nodded.

"Come on." Jungkook signed, handing Mina back her schedule. "Nice meeting you Chaeyoung." He called out, waving at her as they walked away. She waved back, checking her own schedule and heading to class.

--

Mina sat in her history class, waiting for the stupid class to start so she could be bored out of her mind. History was her least favorite subject, mainly because of all the note taking. The only fun part was the group projects at the end of the chapter. Jungkook sat next to her, chatting with his friends while Mina spaced out and stared out the window. She wondered what it would be like to be away from school, not having a worry in the world about an education. She wanted that life. To just be home, or rather, away from anyone that she didn't trust.

The tapping on her desk brought her back to reality, looking back at Jungkook who had a hand on her desk. He pointed to the front of the class, seeing her teacher and a student next to him. She was curious as to who the student was, but she looked familiar in a way. She watched her interpreter sign for her teacher, something about a new transfer student from another school. She watched as the girl sat next to Jungkook, and was curious.

"What's her name?" Mina signed to Jungkook.

"Sana I think." He signed back.

"Check." Mina frowned. She watched as Jungkook rolled his eyes, turning himself to confirm what he had said. Mina watched as the girl nodded her head, giving him a polite smile.

It couldn't have been her Sana...