Hear No Secrets
Taylor Lautner as Grant
Kristin Kreuk as Chloe
Chapter 4
“So what’s going on with that new Grant guy?” Mia asked, “We heard you drove him home the other day?”
“It’s no big deal,” I told them, “The principal wanted me to show him around. We’re kind of friends.”
“Kind of friends?” Lana said, “What does that mean?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted, “We don’t seem to get along very well. We fight… a lot, but he says he needs a friend.”
“So you’re gonna be his friend,” Lana finished.
“Yeah,” I said, “I’m gonna try to be. I just don’t know how to be a very good friend. I’m still getting used to it. Before they were just friends I made who knew my name. They were people to talk to who updated me on everything that was happening here and I didn’t have to try very hard. I didn’t have to do anything as a friend. I’m still trying to learn what being a friend is.”
“Chloe, being a friend is about being yourself,” Mia said, “It shouldn’t be that hard. Talk to each other, find common interests, and do something outside of school and working on projects. Get to know each other. It won’t be so hard after that.”
I smiled, “Thanks guys.”
“No problem,” Mia and Lana both smiled.
When I walked to my car after school Grant was waiting there. We haven’t talked much since our talk the other day by my car. Maybe I was afraid to talk to him. After all, besides Peter, I’ve never been friends with a guy before.
“Is this going to become a habit?” I asked as I unlocked my car and threw my bag in it.
“One of them went home sick,” he said, “Now the rest of us don’t have rides.”
I sighed, “Well as long as I don’t have to take the rest of them home too.”
“Just me.”
“Good,” I said, “Get in.”
That’s what started my friendship with Grant. A ride home a few days a week turned into giving him a ride every day. Mia and Lana asked me about him every day, but he was never around when they were. I never saw him talk to anybody else either. When he was around the rest of the Deaf Group he stuck with sign language. I tried to get him to talk around my friends at lunch once in a while, but it never happened.
The next time I drove him home I finally asked him about it.
“Grant why do you only talk to me?” I asked him.
“What do you mean?”
“You know what I mean,” I said, “I’m the only one you talk to besides using sign language around your other deaf friends. Why won’t you talk to anyone else?”
“I just don’t.”
“They’re scared of you, you know?”
“They are?” he asked.
“Please don’t tell me you haven’t noticed the way no one wants to approach you in school.”
“That happens at every school,” he assured me, “Not just this one.”
“Is that why you put on the tough guy act?”
“Tough guy act?” he sort of asked.
“Yeah, the leather jackets, quiet act, and sitting isolated with your group of friends.”
“They’re not here every day,” he reminded me.
“Well when they are,” I laughed, “And when they aren’t at school you sit alone.”
He chuckled, “I know what you mean.”
“So answer my question!”
“Okay. Fine. I’ve been to quite a few schools. Whenever things didn’t turn out my parents let me transfer to a new one.”
“You don’t want to talk about it anymore do you?” I asked.
“Maybe someday.”
“Fair enough.”
“You ever going to tell me your secret?” he asked.
“Maybe someday,” I said back.
Instead of dropping him off at home we decided to go for a walk on the beach. I took my shoes off and we walked in the sand. That’s where we had one of our deepest conversations yet.
“So tell me about you,” I said while we continued walking along the beach.
“What do you want to know?” he asked as we sat down on the sand. We both stood face to face with each other so it was easier for him to understand what I was saying.
“Anything. What about your friends?”
“What friends?”
“Come on!” I said, “You know who I mean.”
He smiled. It was nice to see him smile. I didn’t get to see it much at school. “Fine. My parents tracked now the nearest teenagers who were also deaf. I’m only partially deaf, but they wanted people around me that would understand and help me cope with my situation. Most of the time they’re homeschooled, but they try to get out into the real world, so to say.”
“Do you get along with your parents?” I asked him again.
“I don’t think so,” he said, “My turn. We each get to ask questions to each other.”
“Fair enough,” I said, “Go.”
“Did you used to be popular?”
The question hit me hard. He notices way too much at school. “Yeah.”
“Why?”
“I just was.”
“What are you hiding?”
“That goes both ways you know?” I asked back, “What are you hiding from me?”
“Fine,” he stiffened, “Then WHY are you hiding it?”
“Why do you want to know?” I asked.
“We’re friends.”
“If you must know, I’m hiding it because I’m trying to forget it. People walk around and look at me like I’m a freak. They’re all talking about me behind my back and I know that, but I can’t tell them what they want to hear.”
“Why not?” he asked.
“Because it will ruin me!” I yelled, “It will completely destroy me! Don’t you see that?! Don’t you see how I act around people and how I talk around my friends? I can’t afford to tell anyone.”
“Chloe…”
“No Grant, don’t.”
“Why not Chloe?”
“Because I can’t okay?! Isn’t it the same reason why you won’t tell me your big secret? It’s not because you don’t want someone to know it’s because you can’t afford to tell them. No matter how much you like that person or want them to know it will take everything out of you to tell them. You’ll break down and you’re afraid you won’t be able to get back up. That’s why I can’t Grant. No matter how much I may want to, I just can’t.”
“Okay,” he said, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
“I didn’t mean to blow up on you like that.”
“It’s okay. You’re right…”
“I am?”
“Yeah,” he said, “So it seems like we’re both at an impasse.”
“How do we get past it?”
“I don’t know. We’ll have to figure it out.”
“So we’ll still be friends?” I asked him.
“Of course. You’re the best friend I have here.”
“Can I ask you one more question?”
“Sure.”
“You’re only half deaf or partially deaf or whatever. Were you born like that or did you get it later on?”
“Later on,” he answered, “I’ve been partially deaf for two years. Can I ask you one more question?”
“Sure.”
“When was the last time you were popular?”
“Two years,” I paused, “At least that’s the last day I considered myself popular.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, “I don’t know what happened but I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry too.”
THE END CHAPTER 4!!!!
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