Liora hurried to her car. She was going to be late for her meeting with Ranga. She had to meet with some of her classmates to work on a group project and it had taken longer than she had expected. Liora hated working in groups. She usually couldn't understand what anyone was saying. It was too hard to try to read everyone's lips and follow the conversation. Someone always seemed to speak just as she was looking away or down at her paper and she would miss what was being said. This time however, Liora gathered her courage and told her classmates that she couldn't hear well and needed to look at their lips to understand what was being said. They were surprisingly understanding and made an effort to look at her when speaking. It wasn't always perfect and one of them would usually forget but her other classmates would remind them. It went much easier than Liora expected and they managed to get quite a bit of work done. The only downside was that she was now late. Ranga and Jason would be waiting for her. She sent Jason a text letting him know that she was running late and asked him to tell Ranga that she was coming. Her phone beeped at her shortly after she had sent the message, letting her know that she had a text but she was driving and couldn't answer.
When she pulled into the parking lot, she checked and saw that the text message was from Jason. He told her that he was with Ranga and she should just come into their usual room where they read stories together. Liora hurried inside. She went into the room and saw Jason and Ranga sitting on the couch together, talking. She couldn't tell what they were talking about but Ranga's face was lit up and he seemed very expressive. Jason was smiling and looked far more relaxed than when she had seem him yesterday. When Ranga saw Liora, he jumped up and gave her a big hug. "Hi, Liora!" he squealed.
Liora hugged him back. "How was your visit to Dr. Bronsky?" "It was great!" bubbled Ranga. "I pushed the button every time I heard a beep. Dr. Bronsky had a stuffed bear inside the room that would light up and clap when I pushed the button. It was cool! And then Dr. Bronsky put the stuff in my ear and it did feel like slime! It was all sticky and gross and squishy! Then he showed me the hearing aids and let me pick out the color I wanted. I'm going to get orange hearing aids with tigers all over them!" He continued on and on. Liora had never seen him so excited. She was so happy that his audiology appointment had gone well and that he was excited to get hearing aids. She hoped the other kids would be impressed by Ranga's orange hearing aids and also think they were cool. Liora didn't want anything to diminish his enthusiasm. He would be wearing hearing aids for the rest of his life and Liora wanted him to love them. She remembered hating wearing her own hearing aids and she didn't want Ranga to feel that way. He needed them to hear....just like she needed them to hear....and she wanted him to feel comfortable and confident. Liora had spent so much time trying to hide her hearing loss and her hearing aids. It was exhausting and it had shaken her confidence and affected every aspect of her life...grades, friends, everything.
Liora had been so busy talking to Ranga, she had forgotten that Jason was in the room. Ranga had finally stopped talking long enough to take a breath and his excited torrent of words had slowed down to a mere trickle. Liora looked up to see Jason smiling at her and Ranga. Unlike his sister, who had usually made herself unobtrusive and barely noticeable, Jason was clearly listening to the conversation between Liora and Ranga. It was clear he was enjoying it. Liora was never sure whether Christina was paying attention to her and Ranga when she joined them. She usually looked like she was completely engrossed in her book. That was not the case with her brother, at least not this time. He was a passive bystander, not joining in their conversation, but he was definitely paying attention.
When Jason noticed Liora looking at him, he smiled more broadly and walked over to them. "The two of you were so involved in your conversation, I didn't want to interrupt," he said smiling. "Ranga had been eagerly waiting for you to come. Clearly, he had a lot to tell you about. We were talking about tennis when you came in." "And you!" Ranga burst in. "Because you are my favorite person ever, Liora! And you are Jason's favorite person too!" He gave Liora a big hug. Liora bent to hug him, relieved to have an excuse to cover her blushing face. When she looked up, Jason's face was red as well. He shifted a bit but smiled. "I'll let the two of you get started reading. If we spend all the time talking, you'll never get to read. And who knows what else Ranga will say." He blushed again but winked at Liora and went to the other side of the room to pick up a book. Liora was deep crimson at this point but was glad to refocus her attention. They had finished 'The Jungle Book' but picked up another story by Rudyard Kipling, 'Rikki Tikki Tavi'. This story was one of Liora's favorites. She loved reading about the brave mongoose and his battle to save his human family from the wicked cobras. Ranga was similarly impressed. The time passed quickly. The story was short and they had just finished it when Kartika walked in. Liora looked up and glanced at the clock. She was always surprised how fast the time passed when she was reading with Ranga.
Kartika smiled when she saw the two of them. "Mama!" Ranga shouted as he usually did and leaped into her arms. Just then Ranga's father walked in. Ranga squirmed out of his mother's hug and ran to his father. "Ayah!" he shouted. Ranga's father picked him up and tossed him in the air before grabbing him in a big bear hug. Kartika smiled and shook her head. "You should see how the two of them are at home. So noisy!" Ranga and his father walked out. Kartika smiled again. "Our visit with Dr. Bronsky went well. Ranga will be getting hearing aids in a couple days. He is actually very excited about them. Thank you for talking with him. You made him feel a lot better." Kartika glanced over at Jason who still seemed engrossed in his book and her smile became mischevious. "I'd love to talk but I'd better go. Ranga and Rizky are waiting for me. Plus..." Her eyes twinkled and she glanced over at Jason again and lowered her voice a bit. "I think you have someone waiting for you."
Liora blushed and was about to protest but Kartika's smile only grew wider. She knew that any attempt at denial would only make Kartika suspect her more. Plus, she didn't want Jason to catch wind of their conversation. She wasn't entirely sure he was as engrossed in his book as he seemed. She simply smiled and said goodbye to Kartika. Kartika gave her one last mischevious smile and walked out.
Liora turned to collect the book off the couch and put it away. Jason looked up. "Oh, is it time to go already?" he asked. He acted as if he had been oblivious to Ranga leaving and Liora's conversation with Kartika. But Liora suspected that he had really been listening in on the conversation and didn't want her to know. Liora hid her suspicions, giving him an innocent smile. She figured if he had been listening, she would find out sooner or later. She turned to him. "You were really engrossed in your book." Jason looked at her, the picture of wide-eyed innocence, and nodded. "Yes, it is really fascinating." He grinned at her and Liora was sure he had been eavesdropping. She had no real desire to bring it up. That was a conversation she wasn't ready to have.
Jason put away his book and came to join her. "I have tennis practice tomorrow so Christina will be joining you. I know she's your favorite," he laughed. Liora joined in on the teasing. "Of course she is. But I like having you around too," she teased. Jason looked sideways at her and his smile deepened. "I hope so. I'm not as bubbly and outgoing as Christina but I think I can be fun. And I really enjoy your company, Liora," he added, turning serious. They looked at each other openly but before it could turn awkward, Jason started joking again. "We need to have you over for dinner so we can have a do-over. Your first introduction to our family was a little rough. Getting knocked over by Moose....getting knocked over by me. I'm surprised you didn't run for the hills after that welcome. But I'm glad you stayed. Everyone is. My parents really like you. They weren't just being nice when they said you could come over anytime. They really meant it." He looked at her and smiled. "That isn't always the case with all of the friends Christina and I have brought over. They are nice to everyone but they've taken care to distance us from bad influences. I guess you could say they've brought us up on the 'straight and narrow.' No wild parties for me."
"Well, I haven't gone to any parties, period. So, I guess you have me beat there," Liora joked. "Oh, if you want to go to a party, I could definitely get you in," Jason's expression was teasing. "Maybe not the wild parties...but I have the feeling you wouldn't enjoy those anyway. But I have some friends from church that regularly all hang out....even some of my tennis teammates have parties that I go to often...and there's no drinking or anything. Just spending time with each other. We would love for you to join us."
"Thank you but I don't think I'm very good at parties," replied Liora. "It's hard for me to hear in a big group of people...and if you add music, that's even worse. It gets overwhelming for me and I usually just want to go off by myself...or go home. I don't enjoy it and I'm not very fun. So, I'd rather just stay home."
Jason smiled at her. "Okay, I won't push you to come...but in October, our church usually does a fall festival. Hay rides, apple picking...that sort of thing. It's not usually that noisy...and there are spaces that have peace and quiet if you need that. You should come."
Liora looked at Jason. She wondered why he was pushing the idea of her coming to a party. Liora didn't like parties...even family parties. It was always noisy and confusing. She thought about refusing but Jason looked so hopeful. She didn't want to disappoint him. "Okay, I will come," she said, without the slightest intention of actually coming. Jason smiled and his face lit up. "I'm going to hold you to that," he said happily. Liora inwardly kicked herself. She was sure the party was a few weeks away. Hopefully, Jason would forget about it by then. But she had a feeling he wouldn't. She was equally certain that he would tell Christina that she was coming and Christina definitely wouldn't forget about it. Liora felt guilt-tripped into coming to the party but what else could she do? She could picture the disappointment that would have spread across Jason's face if she had refused to come. Or worse, his persistence in trying to get her to go. And Christina would be crushed. Of that, Liora was sure. Liora didn't want to be the cause of wiping that bubbly smile off Christina's face. "It's only one night," she told herself. "You can handle it."
Jason looked at her and smiled. "You are probably mad at me, aren't you?" "For what?" Liora responded. "For making you come to the church party," Jason replied. "And for telling Christina so you have no excuse for backing out." He grinned mischievously at her. "But seriously," his expression turned somber. "I don't want to push you into doing something you are going to hate. So, if you really don't want to go, you don't have to. But like I said, I like having you around...and Christina likes having you around. And the party is really fun. Everyone has a good time...at least I think they do. Ranga and his family will probably come. And you know Ranga will be looking for you."
Liora looked at him and rolled her eyes. "You are really laying it on thick. I've never had someone try to guilt-trip me so much into coming to a party." She smiled at him to let him know that she was kidding. Jason laughed and then reached out and pulled her into a side hug. He let her go quickly but Liora was aware of how comfortable he had gotten with her. She never initiated physical contact with him but he did so frequently. But she didn't mind. There was something comforting about his presence and his affection. She enjoyed being with him and she knew that he liked being around her as well. She had stopped being so guarded. Somehow he had managed to break down her walls and she no longer felt like keeping him out.
Jason looked at the clock. "It's getting late. We'd better head out before they lock us in here." "I think my parents would come looking for me if I didn't come home for dinner. And we would probably get hungry," responded Liora. "There's food in the church kitchen," replied Jason. "Oh, in that case, then it's no problem," laughed Liora. They walked out and headed into the lobby, still laughing and teasing each other. Ms. Ellen was in the lobby and smiled when she saw them. "You two are still here? You are lucky I didn't lock you in!" she exclaimed. Liora and Jason just laughed. "We were just talking about that," explained Jason. "But Liora is fine with being locked in as long as there's food." "Oh, there's plenty of food," said Ms. Ellen. "But I don't know how comfortable the couches are. And your parents would come for me if I left you here." She smiled and opened the door for them. "Thank you, Liora for being so caring and diligent with helping Ranga. I know he really appreciates it and I do as well. You truly are a gift. And Jason, I appreciate you coming to help out when you can. Are you coming tomorrow?"
"No, I have tennis," replied Jason. "Christina will be here though. Goodnight Ms. Ellen." Liora said goodnight as well. Jason walked with Liora to her car. He waited for her to unlock the door and then opened it for her. "Thank you," said Liora. It touched her that he was so considerate. "My parents taught me well," grinned Jason. He gave her a quick hug and then waited until she slid into the driver's seat, shutting the door behind her. Liora pulled out and waved. "I'll see you at lunch tomorrow!" called Jason. Liora smiled and waved goodbye again. She turned on the music and sang happily along as she drove home. When she got home, she went into the kitchen to find her mother.
"Hi honey. How was your time with Ranga?" asked her mother. "It was good. He told me all about his appointment with Dr. Bronsky. It seemed like it went well. And he's excited about getting his hearing aids," Liora responded. "Oh, that's good. I'm really happy to hear that. Who was with you today, Jason or Christina?" asked her mother. "Jason but Christina will be there tomorrow," Liora replied. "Oh, that explains why you are getting home a little late...and why you seem so happy," her mother said with a twinkle in her eye. Liora blushed. She wasn't sure how to respond to her mother's teasing. She had never told her mom that she liked Jason but apparently she had figured it out. Before she could say anything, her mother smiled gently. "I'm really glad you are making some friends. Jason and Christina both seem like wonderful people. And you need some friends in your life. I know it's been lonely for you."
Liora smiled and then grimaced. "Jason has already roped me into going to the fall festival at their church." Her mother's smile grew wider. "Well, that was nice of him. When is the fall festival?" "In October sometime. I think mid-October," said Liora. Her mom smiled again. "I guess he really wants you to go since mid-October is still a few weeks away." "He said he was going to tell Christina I was coming so I couldn't back out." Liora rolled her eyes. "I don't know why he wants me to come so much." "Well, it's obvious he likes your company," responded her mother. "You are a wonderful person, Liora. You don't give yourself enough credit. Anyone would want to be your friend." Liora's face fell. "I don't know if that's true. I haven't had very many friends....not in a long time. Actually, I can't remember if I've ever had very many friends. I'm usually by myself...reading a book."
Liora's mom gave her a hug. "I know it's been hard for you. But you are getting older now and you will start meeting new people as you continue to grow up. There's all different kind of people in the world, Liora. Some people won't recognize what a treasure you are...but others will. So, don't doubt yourself. And don't doubt the people who say they want to be your friend. It just means they can see your worth. I'm glad you are going to the church after school and helping Ranga. And I think you should go to the fall festival. Maybe find out if there is a youth group or something that you can go to. It would be good for you to hang out with teens your own age. Yes, I know you are spending time with Jason and Christina but it would be good for you to have a group of friends to hang out with. It seems like they want to introduce you to their friends. Don't turn them down."
Liora knew her mother was right. "Okay, I won't." She hugged her mother. "I'm going to go put my backpack away. I'll be down to set the table." "Okay, honey," her mother replied. "I'll see you in a few minutes." Liora went up to her room. She set her backpack on the bed. As she was setting her purse down, her phone buzzed. She fished into her purse for it. It was at the very bottom of her big bag and she fished through tissue packets, receipts and a few novels before she found it. She pulled it out. She had a text message from Christina.
I'm sooooo excited you are coming to the fall festival at church! It will be so much fun! I can't wait to see you tomorrow so I can tell you all about it!
Liora sighed, then laughed. It appeared Jason had made good on his threat to tell Christina she was coming. Liora could only imagine how many times Christina would talk about the fall festival from now until mid-October. There was no chance of her backing out now. She texted Christina and let her know she was looking forward to going. Then she texted Jason.
I see you have already told your sister I was going to the festival. Thanks a lot. lol
She only had to wait a few seconds for the reply. Her phone buzzed again. She looked at it and saw a text from Jason.
It's my pleasure. ;) I'm sure she will tell you all about it when she sees you tomorrow. Prepare for the onslaught. lol. She's really excited.
Liora laughed out loud when she read Jason's text. She kind of wondered at her boldness in texting and teasing him like that. She was glad that he had responded so quickly. She didn't have a chance to second guess herself for texting him or worry about his response. His teasing reassured her and made her glad she had gone out of her comfort zone. She was getting more comfortable with Jason, more secure of his friendship. She was also getting more secure in who she was. She tried contrasting the way she was now with the shy, scared girl she had been. Had it only been a week since Jason had first talked to her about Ranga? It seemed like a lifetime ago. She had been scared to talk to anyone then, scared to go out and do anything. Now she was going to a fall festival, had made two true friends, both of whom were far more popular than her, and was probably going to be pushed into several more activities as the school year picked up. She hadn't imagined that Jason and Christina would ever notice her or want to be her friend. They both had a large circle of friends, were good in school and athletics. She wondered about it briefly but remembered her mom's words not to doubt herself. All she could do was trust.