Page 35 of On the Bright Side
“It’s kind of a struggle still,” Izzy teases.
Alex scrunches up her face and shakes her head playfully. “Only because I learned all your bad habits.”
“That’s adorable,” I sign. “I’m jealous you all had each other. I’ve been keeping an eye out, but I think I’m the only Deaf one there right now.”
“Yeah, but you also still ended up having a meet-cute at ASL club,” Shay signs. “Why am I out here doing all the work but never finding love?”
“A meet-cute?” I lean back, scrunching up my face, playing coy. “Wait, do you mean J-a-c-k-s-o-n? He just had to give me a tour of the school.”
Shay has her counterpoint at the ready. “Just like he had to give you a tour of the 5K?”
My cheeks are warm, and I’m running out of ways to deny that something is going on with us. “Maybe…” I let that linger for dramatic effect. “But I’m not sure I’m really over my ex, honestly. We were together for years, the entire time I was at Brandview.”
“And the ex doesn’t live nearby?” Izzy asks.
I shake my head. “By Cleveland.”
Alex winces. “That’s a long drive.”
“Sure, okay,” Shay signs, her lips pursed in disbelief. “Maybe it takes a while to get over him. But you told me he was not great.”
“Right, true, true,” I agree. Cody was the worst in the end, so why has it been impossible to get him entirely out of my head? Something as small as having to go get an oil change really shook me up since he used to fit in my life so perfectly.
Cody constantly sneaks back into my thoughts, slithering like a snake and forever contaminating my memories of Brandview. I miss being there so much, which, in turn, makes me think I miss being therewith him.
The others have moved on from the topic to discuss something about classes at ACC, so I sit back for a while and just appreciate the easy conversation and being surrounded by Deaf folks.
Yet, since Shay brought it up, my mind does wander back to yesterday’s 5K and Jackson. I wouldn’t exactly call our conversationseasybecause of the hurdles, but, in spite of myself, I’m enjoying his company. With him, I can get out of my head a little. He’s a welcome distraction that makes starting at a new school a little less impossible.
For some reason, communication that is usually taxing work doesn’t feel as difficult with him. He’s always eager to repeat himself, making sure I’ve understood. Like he’s taking on a little bit of the barrier so I don’t have to carry all the burden. And while I’d never expect he’d actually learn sign languageforme, it would be nice if he continued the effort. Maybe restore my faith in hearing people a little bit.
Shit,I think, stifling a giggle. I felt so bad when he fell in that stream. He took it in stride, though. While he seems to generally walk through life all confident, the glimpses behind that facade make me think I’m getting to know the real him.
Chapter Fourteen
Jackson
When I takemy seat for class on Monday morning, my knee bumps up against the desk. It hurts more than it should with such soft contact. I roll up my pant leg to discover a huge bruise already there. It must be from my fall over the weekend.
Walking down the hall to lunch, I run into Darius by the bathroom. “Yo, Jackson!” he says. “When are we ever going to see you back at the soccer table?”
“I think I’m fine in my new spot. Don’t worry about me.”
“By all those teachers?” He doesn’t seem convinced. “If you say so. You know the guys aren’t that mad anymore. It’s kinda weird that you aren’t there still.”
“I guess since I’m not playing club right now, it feels like I don’t really belong. Even when I’m doing just fine during conditioning or scrimmages, I can stillfeelthe resentment a bit.”
“Come on, man, it’s not like that.” Darius shakes his head. “Truly, if you wanna chill with your girl during lunch, that’s all good. But don’t feel like you gotta keep your distance anymore, all right?”
A few minutes later, when I see Ellie waiting for me at our table, I know that I’m sure. I was a little anxious to see her again after this weekend, especially after that weirdness with her parents, but we ignore it and settle back into our usual routine today and the rest of this week.
Ellie’s class before lunch often runs late, so I’m usually the first one at the table, making small talk with the faculty passing by. When she shows up and makes the obligatory joke about me being a teacher’s pet, we eat our lunches and hang out until it’s time to walk down to study hall.
During study hall on Friday, while Ellie’s doing some assigned reading, I look up an ASL alphabet chart on my laptop, finally thinking I’ve got it memorized. It’s taken a while, especially since I always mess upFandD. But feeling fairly sure of myself, I wave an arm out for her attention. “Are you busy?”
Her eyes widen, eager for a distraction. “Not really,” she says, dropping her highlighter and abandoning focus.
“I learned the alphabet.” I give a small smile.
