Page 11 of On the Bright Side
“What makes you think I’ll need tutoring?” she says with a strong Deaf accent.
I’m caught off guard and immediately say the first question that comes to mind. Probably thewrongquestion. “Oh, you speak?”
Whew. Because that would make thingsa loteasier for me.
Ellie runs a hand through her hair, clicking her tongue as she slides back in her seat. Her feet accidentally knock against mine. She signs to the interpreter, who nods politely, gets up, and leaves. Then Ellie pulls out her phone and ignores me.
How is this supposed to work? Does she not need an interpreter right now? Will she be able to tell what I’m saying?
I wave my hand in her direction, not quite as aggressively as she did earlier but in an effort to show that I’m trying to pick up on what the right course of action is here. It’s not my fault she’s sending all sorts of mixed signals. She keeps her head down but raises her eyes from her phone to look at me.
“Can I ask you a question?” I say, loud and as slow as possible to make it clear.
“Just speak normally,” she says, irritated.
I’m taken aback. “Yeah, normally. Can you hear what I’m saying, then?”
She watches my lips as I speak. “Yes. And no.”
“Cool, cool.” I wait for her to elaborate, but she doesn’t. “Does that implant thing bring your hearing back?” I ask, painfully awarethat I’m using all the wrong terminology. “So you don’t always need the interpreter?”
“It’s been a long day.” Her exhaustion is palpable. “I’m not in the mood to educate you right now.”
That’s fair. What was it that Ms. Lily said her last name was? Egan, right? There was another girl who graduated last year. I’m searching for any way to make a connection here. “Any chance you’re related to Madison?”
Apparently, this was also the wrong thing to say. “My sister,” Ellie grumbles.
I worked with Madison on some student government projects last year. I kind of recall her mentioning a sister away at school, but I’d assumed that meant an older sibling at college.
Ellie adjusts some settings on her phone, then pulls up a Spotify playlist and selects a song, totally checking out of the conversation.Geesh, at least help me help you.Straining to listen, I can detect the faintest hint of music leaking out from her cochlear thing. Oh wait, no. I think that’s what the one on the other side of her head is called. This must be a hearing aid.
We sit uncomfortably side by side for the rest of study hall. Up close, I notice the faint freckles strewn across her cheeks. If she wasn’t so intimidating, she’d be cute.
Scratch that, she’s attractive in partbecauseshe’s intimidating.
Spotify must play a song Ellie doesn’t like because she scrunches up her nose and skips to the next track. She throws a side-eye glance my way, aware that I’m watching her. But I don’t back down.
We hold each other’s gaze.
I try to figure out what she’s thinking. She stares at me for a moment and lowers her eyebrows ever so slightly, as if posing a question.One I wish I had the answer for. But with a small shake of her head, she breaks away. She probably thinks I’m another jerk in a school full of them.
If only there was some parting sentiment that could restore good faith here, but at the end of the period, I carefully alert her to the bell ringing. She nods, then walks away, probably not giving me another thought.
Everything about Ellie is intriguing. There’s so much personality behind her expressions when she signs. It seems that’s when she gets to be herself, and I wish I knew what she was saying. I can’t help but feel like I’m missing out.
Damn. I wish that had gone better.
Chapter Five
Ellie
I pull outmy hearing aid and cochlear receiver and take my time walking inside my house after school, avoiding the water pooling in the small indents on the driveway. The rain is still drizzling down in this clammy heat. I need to shower off this terrible day. An involuntary half grin curls up when I notice Cheese watching me from the bedroom window, but remembering today quashes that would-be smile immediately.
Gossip must’ve gotten around after first period, because I was stared at all day long, more so than usual. The guidance counselor tried to take pity on me and assigned some guy to sit with me during study hall. And he thought I’d need a tutor? Not even for any particular subject, just assumed I must be bad at school.Ugh, how embarrassing.My mood simmers, yet I know as soon as I step inside the house, it will come to a raging boil.
Everyone is acting like everything about this is normal, but it’s not. I should still be at Brandview. This place doesn’t feel like home to me. There has to be some better alternative than sticking me in a new school for my final year. Honestly, I’m eighteen, so do I legally even need to be going to Amber?
I enter the code to open the garage and am relieved to find no cars inside, meaning my parents aren’t home. Dad’s schedule is all over the place depending on what plumbing repairs are needed each week, and Mom really has to work hard to justify a vacation day to herself, even when she has plenty to spare at her corporate marketing job.
