Stolen Voices ✓

April 9th

Dedicated to nxstories for all her support.

April 9th:

Elias stares at the piece of paper, his eyebrows furrowed. His computer is open in the space next to him, his hands hovering over the keys. He nibbles on his bottom lip, his eyes focused on the rows of bookshelves in front of them. He's gazing at them, his mind lost in thought.

The library is closed to the public at this hour, so Elias decided to stay an extra few hours to get his homework done. The manager told him it is okay, as long as he locks up afterwards and doesn't let anyone in past hours.

He never let Mara in. She somewhat arrives unannounced. At least to Elias she is the exception.

His focus is thrown back again on the words, his ears ringing. He isn't having a panic attack like last time he stared at the paper, but he doesn't feel great either.

What is a moment in your life that crafted the way you are now?

The day I lost my voice, Elias types out, staring at the six words. Huffing, he slams down his computer screen, the same time Mara burst through the front glass doors. The heels of her Doc Martins click against the tiles before turning muffled by the carpet that leads into the computer section of the library. Her singing burns Elias eardrums.

"Hello weirdo," she beams, pulling out her earbuds. She falls onto one of the chairs opposite Elias, dumping her backpack on the table between them. She sighs, running her fingers through her golden hair and messing it up.

Elias nods, waving his hand as his mood lifts impeccably. Mara tends to have that effect on people, her hyper-activeness instantly drawing attention away from whatever they are feeling. She is either widely hated for it or adored because of it.

Elias is the latter.

Mara doesn't have any homework, having done it already. Despite some flaws in her character, she is really quite intelligent. Even after missing periods of school at a time because she is in an institution, she manages to graduate each year with flying colors.

"Whatcha working on?" Mara questions in a joking tone, leaning back on her chair. She tips it, so only two legs are against the carpet floor as her feet rest on the tabletop, her ankles crossed over the other.

Elias shakes his head, shrugging. He will put off the English assignment as long as he possibly can, unable to write about the moment that had the most impact on his life.

"That's great because I've decided we will learn sign language," she jumps up, disappearing into the rows of books. Elias blinks, his mind trying to catch up before he springs after her.

He tried learning sign language once before, and it only ended with him on the brink of tears. He knows a little, but not enough to communicate his needs.

He finds her by the ways she hums under her breath, his ears listening for her voice. She is deep into the aisle, her fingers skimming over the rim of each book. Her eyes, darting over the words before she lands on one title, pulling it out of its respected place. She runs it through her hands, smiling triumphantly.

It is Sign Language 101, For Dummies Edition. Elias laughs, chuckling as his chest vibrates with the resonance. He follows Mara back to the table as she drops the book on it, this time sitting on the chair next to his. The loud crash, echoing off the walls.

They are pulled close together, their knees brushing against each other. Elias lays his head on his arms, which are resting on the table. While her chin leans against his shoulder, looking over him as she flips through the pages with her long red nails.