Page 16 of Silent Desires

“Oh, how cute! Is she your sister? I didn’t know she goes here, too!” Her syrupy tone grates on me, and I bite into my sandwich, chewing slowly to avoid glaring at her.

“No, she’s a new student. She started this week,” Jasper replies with a hint of agitation in his voice. Good, he doesn’t like her either.

A glance at Tiffany and see when a lightbulb seems to go off in her head. “Ohhhh… she’s the mute girl,” she says, her voice laced with condescension.

I stiffen. Was there a double meaning in her words?

“That’s so sweet of you guys to befriend someone who’s… so special.”

Is that how everyone sees me? Some charity case student who needs help and pity? I don’t want pity. Is that how Jasper and Max see me? I want them to like me because of who I am. But how can they get to know me if I can’t talk? My stomach churns and I set the last bit of my sandwich down on the table and stare at it in worry.

“Tiffany, what the fuck is wrong with you?” Max snaps, his anger sharp and immediate. “Do not belittle her like that again. Just because she doesn’t talk doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with her.”

His frustration surprises me.

“You could take a note from her book and learn to talk less yourself,” Jasper adds coolly.

“Whatever. You’ll get bored of her silence soon enough. See you later, boys.” Tiffany gives a sultry wave and saunters off like their words have no effect on her.

But her parting words linger. Is she right? Will they get bored of me because I can’t talk to them? I sneak a glance at Jasper and find him already watching me.

“Not gonna happen, Angel,” Jasper says softly. “You could never speak a word, and we’d never grow bored of you.”

His smile is kind, but I’m not sure if I believe him. He doesn’t know anything about me.

The boys exchange a look that seems a little nervous. What could they possibly have to be nervous about?

“We were wondering…” Jasper starts, “do you want to come over and hang out with us after school? We could work through some homework if you’d like—or play a game or watch a movie?”

He seems nervous about my answer, which seems strange to me. I can’t imagine anyone turning him down. I wouldloveto hang out with them—it’s like something out of the movies. We’d become best friends, hanging out every day and laughing at inside jokes. But reality crashes in, and I almost jump back, shaking my head fast. My mother will be expecting me home.

“That’s okay, maybe tomorrow? Or another day…” Max offers quickly, trying to soften the rejection.

I shrug, avoiding their eyes.

“Angel, do you have a cell phone? So we can call or text you tonight?” Jasper asks.

I shake my head.

“We’ll have to fix that,” Max mumbles, almost too low for me to hear. I’m not sure what he means by that. My mother will never allow me to have a phone.

The rest of lunch passes quickly. I realize I only have a few more minutes before my third period art class that I haven’t made it to yet, and need to use the bathroom.

I stand and grab my bag. Max follows, standing with me. “Ready for class, Sweetheart?” he asks with a smile.

I shake my head, unsure how to tell him I need the bathroom. Ireallydon’t want to mime that. He studies me as I shift slightly from foot to foot.

“You want to go somewhere…” he muses aloud, piecing it together.

His eyebrows shoot up in realization as Jasper chuckles behind me. “Ah, yes, let’s take a bathroom break before class, shall we?”

Max takes my hand, and I nod gratefully. The three of us stop outside the bathrooms, as Jasper says, “we’ll wait for you here.” Max releases my hand, and I step into the women’s restroom.

As I finish up in a stall, I hear two girls talking at the counter.

“Did you hear Jack is back in school this week?” one girl asks.

“No way! His sister’s only been gone for two weeks! I’d have used that excuse to stay home the rest of the semester,” the other replies.

---