Silence

Chapter 1

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"Bates," Mrs. Conley calls, "you're up."

Oh great, here we go.

I look up from my book and nod. I stand up from my desk, fidgeting with my red shirt. Walking up to the front of the room, I take a moment to glance at Melony and Bridgett. They give me a reassuring smile that I return as I turn to make sure Mrs. Conley has pulled up my video presentation on the projector.

I take a deep breath and force myself to smile awkwardly. I nod to Mrs. Conley and she clicks play on the video. A robot's voice emanates from the speakers.

"Civil War was one of the worst times in American history. A feud between the North and South led to years of bloodshed that could not be undone."

My presentation on the Civil War continues as I stand here silently. I try not to make eye contact with anyone (except occasionally Bridgett or Melony). Most of my classmates are used to this by now, but a few new kids and some less tolerant students still find a way to make it awkward and embarrassing.

Like Shelby.

I hear snickering to my left and sure enough, a girl with dark, curly hair and a few other kids are snickering at something one of them said, probably at my expense. I learned to ignore them long ago, but it's still annoying when they disrupt a presentation. Not that there was much to disrupt. Most kids had gone numb to the robotic voice; I noticed at least two kids in the back had fallen asleep by the time the first half of the presentation was done.

And I couldn't do anything but stare at the Gotham North pennant on the back wall, tapping my name in Morse code on my leg. W-I-L-L-O-W. W-I-L-L-O-W. W-I-L-L-O-W. Over and over.

Being mute sucks.

I remember my mom telling me about when I was born and they found out I was mute. It only took a few moments for the doctor and nurses to realize something was wrong. My mouth was open, but no sound came out. Not a single cry escaped my tiny lips. After a few tests, they realized somehow I was born without vocal chords. I wouldn't be able to speak, cry, laugh, scream, or make noise of any kind. Needless to say, it wasn't exactly easy to take care of a baby that could be quietly crying or screaming at any moment.

My dad said my mother bawled when I tried to speak for the first time. When I was about one, my older brother, Dustin, who was six at the time, was trying to teach me how to speak. Apparently he'd heard my parents talk about it and wanted to help them by helping me talk. My mom walked in, saw what he was doing, and had to go to her room to cry by herself. My dad didn't stop him, but later told him that it was something that couldn't be fixed. I was to be mute for life.

I hear a half-hearted applause, snapping me out of my trance and letting me know the video is over. I nod to Mrs. Conley and go back to my seat. I pick up my book and continue reading.

As the next person is called up to present, I receive a tap on my shoulder. I turn to my right and the guy who tapped me hands me a folded up piece of paper. I know immediately who it's from.

Let's see what clever joke she's come up with today.

I open the note quietly, getting out a pencil to write on it in case Mrs. Conley sees me. The note is written in small, curly-Q handwriting, further confirming my suspicions. I shake my head at the note.

Congratulations, Will! That must be a record for how many people you can put to sleep in five minutes. Maybe next time you'll finally put Shelby to sleep!