Moments of Clarity, Moments of Insanity
Disclaimer: Switched At Birth is owned by Lizzy Weiss and ABC Family. No
copyright infringement is meant. I am using the characters for entertainment
purposes only.
Disclaimer: There will be "M" rated themes in later chapters......
#-----------
Chapter 4- episode 6
I went to my studio to paint. Thinking about the conversation with Emmett, I
smile to myself. He was so sweet to be worried like that. Talking with him, I
forgot about everything for a few minutes. Afterward, the pain came back though.
Liam…Ty…. Why does it always hurt so much? I keep giving my heart away and it
keeps getting stepped on. Do I really want to get hurt again? I'm 15 and
sometimes I feel dead inside from the pain. Why does it have to be this way?
Emmett clearly has feelings for Daphne. Maybe we could at least be friends. I
would have to learn sign. Truthfully, I should know more than I do. Daphne has
taught me a little, but I never saw the point to learn everything. Maybe now I
have a reason. Who am I kidding here? Maybe Emmett doesn't even want to be my
friend. He probably saw that something was wrong and wanted to help. He is a
nice guy like that. It doesn't mean he wants to date me. I mean, the guy doesn't
even hang out with hearing people.
Why did I have to ruin it? Asking him if he wanted to 'fill the bill'
probably made him want to run in the other direction. ARRGH…..stop
over-analyzing it! He saw you felt bad and he wanted to help you. END OF STORY!
Who am I kidding? I wanted it to mean more.
#----------------------
After I talked with Bay, I went for a ride. Stopping at a park nearby, I took
some pictures. Remembering the conversation with Bay, I smile to myself. She was
so sad and lost. My heart was breaking with hers. Why do these jerks all treat
her like she is something that is disposable? Her heart gets broken like
everyone else. She puts on a strong front, but I see the little girl inside
crying for attention. Could we be friends? Would she want to? She would have to
learn sign, of course. I'm actually surprised she doesn't know more. Maybe she
doesn't want to learn? ARRGH…stop over-thinking this! She was sad and I wanted
to help her. END OF STORY!
Who am I kidding? I wanted it to mean more.
#-----------
Relaxing in my bedroom, I am playing on the computer when I'm suppost to be
working on my History paper. I pull up the picture of Regina that Daphne gave me
a few weeks ago. I change the colors and distort the image a bit. Suddenly, I
see in the corner of the car window a paper of some sort. Zooming in, I see it
is a parking pass. Trying to zoom in again, the image gets distorted and I can't
read it. Darn it! There has to be a way to sharpen the image. A photographer
would know how. Who did I know who was in to photography?
Mom knocked on the door, startling me. Quickly I close the picture and pull
up my paper. Mom asks me to come downstairs and try the dinner Daphne made. I'm
not sure who is the better cook now, Mom or Daphne. The only problem with
Daphne's food is its always vegetarian. Although, this Greek lasagna she made
actually tastes good. Mom asks Daphne if she wants to take cooking classes at
Buckner. Daphne is excited, but hesitant. She looks at me.
"Are you sure you are okay with this?"
Thinking about the best answer, I decide on, "Well, we already basically live
in the same house. If I can't handle seeing you for an hour a day at my school,
I've got bigger problems."
Daphne smiled, so I guess I said the right thing. Truth was, I felt terrible
about the whole Liam ordeal, and felt I needed to make it up to her. If taking
cooking classes at Buckner made her happy, who was I to say no?
Later that day, I met Toby in the hallway. Rather, he stopped me as I was
trying to go upstairs. He reminded me of the time I borrowed the money from him
for the paintbrushes, which at the time was code for getting money to fix Ty's
truck. Toby wants a return on his favor and asks me for $200. I tell him my
piggy bank is on lockdown till spring break.
Suddenly, Toby grabs my upper arm roughly. I can feel his fingers digging
into my arm. I try to pull away, but he tightens his grip. Toby looks at me with
a mix of desperation and anger on his face. I am suddenly afraid.
"It's just $200! You OWE me!" Toby says angrily. His fingers dig in tighter.
"Okay! Fine." I say. Anything to get him to let go.
Finally, he releases my arm. It is numb where his fingers were. I thought for
a moment before that Toby might hit me. Just how deep is he in? I have never
seen him this desperate before. For the first time, I realized I didn't know my
brother as well as I thought I did. He needs help. Giving him money isn't going
to fix the problem. It will just make it worst.
"Thank you," Toby says, anger still evident in his voice.
I walk upstairs, absently rubbing my arm. It is sore from his grip. Will it
leave a bruise? I am truly afraid for Toby. What will he do now?
#-------------
"Hey, I don't need a ride today. Riding in with Toby and Bay," was the text
that greeted me when I got out the shower.
I knew Daphne was starting cooking classes today. I wasn't sure why she
wanted to, though. She hated hearing schools.
"Do you need a ride after or are you covered?" I send back.
"Yes, please. You can pick me up by the library. Bay says it's by the road."
"Alright, let me know when you're ready."
"Thanks! Wish me luck."
"Good luck."
Flopping on my bed, I stare at my wall. Sometimes, I felt like she used me A
LOT. I mean, I do have my own life. It doesn't revolve around Daphne. Sure, she
is my best friend and I would do anything for her. Maybe that's why she uses me
so much. She knows I won't say no. Sometimes, it bothers me how often she needs
a bail out or a ride. That part I don't mind so much. It gives me a chance to
see Bay every now and then, so I never protest too loudly.
What a twisted life I lead. Best friends with one girl, crushing on the
other. If the universe was right, I wouldn't even know Daphne. Or rather, the
girl called Daphne. I would know another Daphne. One with deep chocolate eyes
and curly black hair. I'm so confused.
#------------
After showing Daphne to the kitchen's at Buckner, I head to class. Ever since
Emmett and I talked the other day, I couldn't stop thinking about it. Emmett is
a really great guy. But, he is also Daphne's best friend. Would he tell her? I
didn't think so, but I didn't know him that well, either.
Walking across the yard a little while later, I spot a familiar looking red
head in front of me. He has his back to me and is taking pictures of… trees?
Pictures? He's into photography! Perfect!
Absently, I say his name, "Emmett!" A few seconds later the light goes off.
Duh, he can't hear you. Why do I find it so easy to forget he is deaf?
Coming around to the front of him, I tap his arm and say, "Hey!"
Emmett's face lights up. He smiles and waves at me. Why is he at Buckner? Oh…
"Are you waiting for Daphne?" I ask, using her name sign.
He confirms this by nodding and repeating Daphne's name sign.
I smile while trying to figure out the best way to ask him. Noticing some
pictures in his pocket, I ask if I can look at them, already reaching for them.
He nods his assent, so I take them out to look at them. He has taken pictures
at a train yard. The really cool part, though, was the special effect colors he
had added.
"You're an artist!" I told him, pleased we shared this in common. He smiles
and nods again.
Noticing the picture in my notebook, he points at it.
"Oh." I pulled it out and handed it to him. It's the picture of Regina that I
had been playing with on my laptop. I changed all the colors and made them neon,
instead. Emmett pointed to the picture, his finger on her pregnant belly.
Pointing at me, he mouths, "That's you?"
"Yeah, that's me. But, Regina doesn't know I have it, so…." I mime a zipper
and key being thrown away.
He mimics me and looks at the picture again. Pointing to the car, he does a
thumbs-up and mouths, "Cool car."
Perfect. Maybe it won't sound weird when I ask him now.
"It's my dad's. Whoever that is." Here goes nothing. "You see the parking
sticker in the windshield? I thought it might tell me where he lived or worked."
I point to it.
Emmett mimes like he is blowing up, no, enlarging something. "Yeah, I tried
blowing it up. It just got all blurry." Time to go in for the kill. "You don't
know how to enlarge the image and like, sharpen it, do you?" PLEASE!
Emmett nods again and mouths that he knows how. YES!
"If I sent you a jpeg, could you do that for me?" He thumbs-up again and
mouths, "Sure."
"Thank You!"
"Sure," he repeats.
#-------------
While waiting for Daphne's class to get done, I decide to kill time by taking
pictures of trees and such around Buckner. I am taking these pictures when I
feel a tap on my arm and see dark curls. Bay comes around to my front and waves
"Hey!"
My stomach suddenly knotted up, from nerves or excitement, I wasn't sure. I
smile and wave back.
"Are you waiting for Daphne?" she asks, using Daphne's name sign.
What would she say if I said I was waiting for her? All my life…
"Yes, Daphne," I confirm, using Daphne's name sign again.
Bay smiles. Glancing down, she notices the pictures from the train yard in my
pocket. "Can I look?" she asks.
I nod, holding open my pocket for her to get them out easier. As Bay looks
through them, she smiles broadly. "You're an artist!" In a way.
I nod again and smile. I notice a picture sticking out of her notebook.
Pointing at it, I wait a few seconds for Bay to notice.
She hands me the picture. It is a picture of Regina when she was pregnant
with Daphne…I mean Bay. God, that is still confusing. Bay had changed the colors
to different shades of neon. I was rather impressed. It looked awesome. Pointing
to the picture, at Regina's belly, I ask "That's you?" even though I knew the
answer.
"Yeah, that's me. But, Regina doesn't know I have it, so…" she mimes zipping
her mouth shut and throwing away the key. I think the gesture is adorable, so I
mimic her. Pointing to the car in the picture, I tell her it is a cool car.
"It's my dad's. Whoever that is." I nod again. This is frustrating. I really
wished that she knew sign so I could talk to her instead of nodding like an
idiot. I notice she is talking again.
"You see the parking sticker in the windshield?" She points to it. "I thought
it might tell me where he lived or worked."
I ask her if she tried enlarging it. She looks confused for a second, but
then it clicks. "Yeah. I tried blowing it up. It just got all blurry." Suddenly,
she gets a look on her face like she has an idea. UH-OH!
"You don't know how to enlarge the image and like, sharpen it, do you?" she
asks hopefully. I release the breath I didn't know I had been holding.
"Yes, I know how." Her face lights up.
"You do? If I sent you a jpeg, could you do that for me?" she asks shyly.
I give her a thumbs-up and mouth "Sure."
"Thank you!"
"Sure." Giddy now, I relish this chance to help her. Here's my chance to
start to get to know her better.
Later that evening, after looking at the picture she sent me, I notice
something much easier to figure out than the parking sticker. Did she miss the
license plate on accident or on purpose?
#-------------
A few days later, I am doing homework in the courtyard at Buckner when I hear
an engine approaching. I glance up and am surprised to see Emmett. He pulls to a
stop a few feet in front of me and waves.
"Hey," I said, even though he probably couldn't read my lips from this
distance. Standing up, I grab my stuff and walk over to him.
"What are you doing here?" I ask him when I am closer to him. He has removed
his helmet and is sitting there patiently waiting. He looks a little excited.
Could it be….?
He pulls a piece of paper out of his pocket and hands it to me. "No way! You
were able to read the parking sticker?" I ask him excitedly.
He shakes his head "No" and points to a line on the paper. Reading it, I get
more excited. "The address where my dad's car is? How did you find this?"
Emmett again points to another line. I wish he could talk so he didn't have
to keep pointing. I was suddenly curious to know what his voice sounded like.
Maybe someday I would know.
Reading what he has pointed at, I have a "duh" moment. "Oh, the license plate
number." I laugh a little at my stupidity. "I guess that's more useful than the
parking sticker. I've had that picture for weeks and I never once thought of
doing that. You're a genius!"
Emmett does a cute shrug and mouths "I know."
Thinking I should thank him properly, but realizing I don't know the sign for
"Thank you" I decide to ask him. Emmett places the tips of his fingers against
his chin and then pulls his hand away, facing upward. "Thank you," he mouths at
the same time.
"Ah, thank you." I repeat the sign he used. Simple enough to remember. He
repeats the sign to show me I did it right. Then he gets a huge grin on his
face.
Feeling like a good step has been taken between us, I'm glad I could make him
happy over such a little thing. Maybe not so little to him. Actually not so
little to me either.
Looking over the paper some more, I read it more carefully.
"So this is where the car was last year….maybe it's still there." I get
excited again. "Maybe, if we find the car, we can trace the ownership all the
way back to my dad!"
Emmett makes a gesture like "Ok" and reaches for his spare helmet. He holds
it out to me invitingly.
"Oh, you want to go there now?" I ask him. My stomach is getting nervous now.
I've never been on a motorcycle before.
Emmett mouths, "Why not?" and looks at me invitingly again. He really has
beautiful blue eyes. I feel like I could drown in those blue orbs.
"What the hell! Here," I say, handing him the paper as he hands me the
helmet. As he gets the bike ready, I put on the helmet and climb on. Wrapping my
arms around him, he takes off. This isn't so bad. I like this feeling.
It feels right…
#-------
After finding the information about the car, I decide to skip last period and
head to Buckner to surprise Bay. I know she is anxious to find her dad. The
information I found will hopefully make it a little easier. Driving into the
courtyard, I see Bay a few feet away doing homework. I pull up in front of her.
She looks up at my approach and smiles. Walking over to me, she says "What are
you doing here?"
I pull out the paper with the information on it and hand it to her. Her face
lights up.
"No way! You were able to read the parking sticker?"
I shake my head "No" and point to a line on the paper.
"The address where my dad's car is? How did you find this?" she asks, looking
excited.
Trying not to laugh, I point to another line further down. Her face gets a
"duh" look on it. It is rather cute, actually. "Oh, the license plate number. I
guess that's more helpful than the parking sticker. I've had that picture for
weeks and I never once thought of doing that. You're a genius!"
I mentally pat myself on the back. Making a "Yeah, I know" gesture, I smile
at Bay. What she said next shocked and delighted me at the same time.
"How do you say "Thank you" in sign language?" I show her and mouth it at the
same time. She repeats the sign with a smile. I repeated it again to show her
she did it right. It made me happy to see her thank me in my own language. It
was definitely a step in the right direction.
Bay is reading the paper again. "So, this is where the car was last
year….maybe it's still there." I can see the excitement building on her face.
"Maybe, if we find the car, we can trace the ownership all the way back to my
dad!"
Wanting to help her anyway I can, I grab the spare helmet off the back of my
seat and hold it out to her invitingly.
"Oh, you want to go there now?" She suddenly looks nervous. Maybe she has
never been on a motorcycle before. I'm an excellent driver, though. I would
never let her get hurt.
Again, I hold out the helmet. "Why not?"
Finally, she smiles. Bay has a gorgeous smile. It lights up her whole face.
"What the hell! Here," she says, handing me the paper. I hand her the helmet and
start getting the bike ready. I feel her get on and wrap her arms around me. I
like the feeling.
It feels right…
#--------
On the way to find my dad's car, my stomach is a bundle of nerves.
Unconsciously, I tighten my arms around Emmett. A second later, I feel his hand
give my arm a quick squeeze. Can he tell how nervous I am? I didn't realize it
was this far away. We had already been driving for an hour. Should I offer him
gas money? Would he accept it if I did? I loved that he wanted to help me, but
at the same time, I felt bad pulling him away from his life. Daphne is probably
wondering where he is by now. I swear, that girl keeps some close tabs on
Emmett. For someone who isn't interested in him, she sure likes to know what he
is doing all the time. Did he even tell her he is helping me?
Pulled from my thoughts by a tap on my arm, I realize Emmett has stopped the
bike. How long have we been sitting here….at a gas station? Embarrassed now, I
let go of him. Emmett gets off the bike, and helps me off.
"What are we doing?" I ask.
He points to his gas tank. "Low on fuel," he mouths.
Oh. "Oh! Wait…" I say, digging through my bag. I pull out my wallet. "Let me
give you some money." I hold out a $20.
Emmett shakes his head sharply. "No, you don't need to give me money," he
tells me.
"Please? I feel bad making you drive all this way. I'm sure you have better
things to do."
Emmett places his hands on my shoulders. Looking at me squarely, he mouths,
"I'm right where I want to be. Keep your money. This is my gift to you. I want
to help you."
Looking deep in his eyes, I see he is telling me the truth.
"Okay, but I buy dinner." I bargain.
Emmett thinks for a second. "Deal!"
#------------
On the way to her dad's car, my mind is racing. What would we find when we
got there? Would we find her father? I know very little about him. I know he
left when Daphne was 3 and she and Regina never talk about him.
I feel Bay's arms tighten around me. She must be nervous. I don't blame her.
Reaching down, I give her arm a quick squeeze to reassure her. I wish I could
look at her right now.
As luck would have it, I happen to glance at my gas tank and realize it is
almost empty. We have been driving for about an hour. I didn't realize it was
this far away or I would have gotten gas back home. Pulling into a gas station,
I stop in front of the pump. Bay is still hanging on to me. Turning slightly, I
tap her arm to get her attention. She starts, and I realize she must have been
in deep thought. She hadn't realized we had stopped. I see her face turn a
pretty shade of red before she quickly lets go. Getting off the bike, I reach to
help her off as well.
"What are we doing?" she asks.
Pointing to the gas tank, I mouth, "Low on fuel."
"Oh! Wait…" she says before digging in her bag. What is she doing? Finally,
she pulls out her wallet. Trying to hand me a $20, she says, "Let me give you
some money."
I shook my head. As if I would make her pay or even take her money. "No, you
don't need to give me money." I tell her.
"Please? I feel bad making you drive all this way. I'm sure you have better
things to do."
Not really. If I wasn't here, I would probably be hanging with Daphne. No
contest there. Placing my hands firmly on her shoulders, I look her in the eye.
"I'm right where I want to be. Keep your money. This is my gift to you. I want
to help you."
Looking deep in her eyes, I know she knows I am telling her the truth.
"Okay. But, I buy dinner," she tells me.
I consider for a second. "Deal!"
#-----------
Finally pulling into the address, I look around me. Miles of junked vehicles
meet my eyes. Are you kidding me! We'll never find the car in this! We drove all
this way for nothing!
Emmett pulls to a stop a little ways in. Getting off the bike, I take off my
helmet as Emmett does the same. "NO WAY!"
"Great!" I say, rather frustrated now. Emmett motions to me like "Come on."
Seriously!
"What for? We'll never find the car in there. And, even if we do, it won't do
us any good."
Emmett signs something that I don't understand. Does he forget I can't sign?
I do understand "see" though.
Trying to crack a joke, I say, "I hope that's sign for "Because there's a
wizard in there who will make all your dreams come true."
Emmett gives me a look like, "Really?" shakes his head and holds out his hand
to me. Giving him a doubtful look, I take his hand. He pulls me forward. Holding
his hand is nice. I can't help but smile at him.
So our search begins….
#--------------
Finally finding the address I seek, I pull into the driveway. HOLY SHIT! All
I see in front of me is junked vehicles. Well, this could be a problem!
Pulling up a ways in, I hope no one thinks my bike is junk and tosses it
while we look around. My parents got it for me for my 16th birthday a few months
ago. I'd hate to come back and find it gone.
Bay looks irritated. "Great!" she says. After pulling off our helmets, I tell
her "Come on." She throws me a look that clearly says "Seriously?"
"What for? We'll never find the car in there. And, even if we do, it won't do
us any good."
Indulgently, I tell her, "We came all this way. Let's see what's here." She
looks at me confused. Damn! I forgot again.
"I hope that's sign for "Because there's a wizard in there who will make all
your dreams come true."
Looking at her, I think "Really?" Holding out my hand, I wait for her to take
it. Finally she does, and I pull her forward. Holding her hand is nice. I can't
help but smile at her.
So our search begins….
#-----------
Surprisingly, we aren't that far from Emmett's bike when I spot the license
plate. Tapping his arm, I tell him, "Look! I think that's the license plate."
Getting closer, I realize it IS the same car from the picture. Hope flooded
through me. Maybe now I'll get my answers.
Practically running up to the car, I open the door and crawl inside. Checking
the glove compartment, I find it empty. I check both visors…empty. Checking the
back seat, I again find nothing! How could we come all this way for NOTHING? Now
I really felt horrible about dragging Emmett into this.
Climbing back out of the car, I look at Emmett, who has been patiently
waiting for me. "There's nothing here," I tell him. Feeling tears well in my
eyes, I vent my frustration by kicking the car. Emmett looks at me concerned.
Feeling the need to talk, I don't even care that the only other person here
can't hear me.
"I don't know what I was thinking. That we drive up to my dad's house, and
he'd throw open his arms and be like "There you are! I've been waiting for you
for 16 years!"
Emmett looks at me sadly. Feeling rather childish for reacting like that, I
tell him "I'm sorry."
The whole time I ranted and fumed, Emmett just stood there watching me,
taking it all in. How many guys would stand there and listen while a woman did
that? Not many. Listen? Nah! Run screaming in the other direction would be more
accurate.
"You know what's amazing? You are the BEST listener I know." Emmett smiles
broadly and drops his head shyly. Oh, now I embarrassed him. That wasn't my
intent. I just wanted to thank him.
"Take another look. You may still find something," Emmett slowly mouths. What
the hell do I have to lose?
#-------------
Amazingly, we are only a couple hundred feet from my bike when Bay taps my
arm. "I think that's the license plate." Getting closer, I see it is the same
car from the picture.
Bay runs up and opens the door, climbing inside. I see her rummaging around,
checking the visors. A couple minutes later, she climbs back out. Her
crestfallen face tells me we came for nothing. She then confirmed it.
"There's nothing here."
I want to comfort her, but before I can move, she kicks the car and starts
ranting. I stand there waiting for her to wind down. It takes her a few minutes.
"I don't know what I was thinking. That we drive up to my dad's house, and
he'd throw open his arms and be like, " There you are. I've been waiting for you
for 16 years."
I look at her, standing there on the verge of tears, and I feel this sudden
need to protect her. To take care of her.
"I'm sorry," Bay finally winds down. Her next words made me smile.
"You know what's amazing? You are the best listener I know."
A deaf guy is a good listener to her? The guys she hangs out with must never
shut up. Either that or they're complete idiots. I blush at my thoughts and look
down.
To cover my embarrassment, I tell her, "Take another look. You may still find
something."
#---------------
After giving the car another look at Emmett's insistence, I am surprised to
find a red guitar pick stuck in the back seat. Who left it behind? My dad?
Regina? Who cares, it's mine now. I pull it out to show Emmett, who has his
camera in hand and has been snapping pictures while he waited. I'm learning
quickly Emmett takes pictures of everything he can. He has even snapped a few of
the two of us today. I think it's awesome he is artsy like that.
"I guess someone played guitar," I tell him, holding up the pick. He snaps a
picture of it. Suddenly, he gets a look on his face like he is remembering
something important. He slowly puts his camera away. Pointing at the pick, he
starts signing fast. Not again!
"Whoa. Whoa, dude. Slow down! You might as well be speaking Russian." He
holds up his hands again and starts over exaggerating his signing. Okay….
"Daphne….you….were short?"
Emmett moves his hands like, "no, no, no" and repeats the signs again. OH!
"Daphne and you were kids! You were kids!"
He points like "YES!" Next..
"You found a guitar…you opened…you opened a guitar case!"
Again "Yes" This is cool!
"You saw.." Okay "no" this time…"You didn't see a guitar?" "Yes"
"This is the most rocking game of charades ever!" I tell him excitedly.
"Sorry. Keep going."
He makes a sign by his face and mimes someone walking.
"Someone walked in?"
He makes another sign, different from the first, then he starts finger
spelling. Okay I kinda know the alphabet. All I get is "R" though. He keeps
pointing at me.
"R. R. My R… My…. Regina? Regina walked in and saw you guys…" He makes a
gesture like he is ripping off his face. "and freaked out!" Okay, so that case
is definitely important.
"Then what happened?" I was dying to know. Emmett shrugs. That can't be it!
"What? NO! Come on. You don't know anything else? You can't guess or
something? Come on. More information. More…." I tell him, practically begging.
He mimes something being taken away. Figures. "She took the guitar case
away," I guess. He looks at me sadly.
Now what? I need to find that case. But, where?
"Okay, so maybe the guitar case…" I sign guitar case, "is my dad's. And maybe
the stuff inside could help me find him."
Emmett starts signing again. "You can drive and open things?" Huh? That
doesn't make sense. He repeats the signs. OH!
"Garage? Garage! Your garage." He makes Regina's name sign again. "Okay,
Regina.." He then mimes big boxes. "She left boxes? Boxes! She left boxes in
your garage!" He points again "Yes" This is really fun, but at the same time I
feel bad. How often does he have to do this with a hearing person? I promised
myself I would start learning sign tonight. I wanted to be able to talk to him.
"Maybe the guitar case is there. Can we go look, now?" I ask him, hopeful.
Emmett signs and mouths, "Tomorrow?"
I got it. "Tomorrow?"
He nods his head and gives me a very sexy smile. God, he is HOT!
"It's a date!" I tell him
He smiles wider.
#------------------
After convincing Bay to take a second look in the car, I snap pictures for a
few minutes. I even snap a couple of Bay when she isn't paying attention.
Tapping my arm to get my attention, she points to a red guitar pick stuck in the
back seat. Who's is it? Her father's? Regina never played a guitar to my
knowledge.
"I guess someone played guitar," Bay said, almost mirroring my thoughts. She
pulled it from the back seat and held it out. I decide to snap a picture of it.
Suddenly, a long ago memory jumps to the front of my mind. Slowly, I put my
camera away and point at the pick. Bay gives me a questioning look.
"When Daphne and I were little, we found a guitar case."
"Whoa! Whoa, dude. Slow down. You might as well be speaking Russian," Bay
tells me. Okay, slow down and speak slowly. Over exaggerating my signs, I try
again.
"Daphne." Bay repeats me. "Daphne."
"Me." Again. "You."
"Were little." Bay guesses, "Were short?"
I wave my hands, "No, no." and repeat the signs. Click!
"Daphne and you were kids! You were kids!"
I point at her. "Yes!"
I continue. "We found a guitar case."
"You found a guitar? You opened….you opened a guitar case!" "Yes"
"We didn't see a guitar."
"You saw…" "NO, NO" "You didn't see a guitar?" "Yes"
"We saw pictures."
Bay loses track for a minute. "This is the most rocking game of charades
ever! Sorry. Keep going."
She missed the last part, so I skip it to go to the important part of the
story. "Regina walked in."
"Someone walked in."
"Your mom, Regina. R-E-G. YOUR MOM!"
"R. R. My R… My…Regina? Regina walked in and saw you guys."
I make a sign like I am ripping my face off.
"And freaked out!" At least she got it.
"Then what happened?" she asked excitedly. For not knowing sign, she wasn't
doing half bad. Now comes the bad news.
"I don't know," I tell her.
"What? No, come on! You don't know anything else? You can't guess or
something? Come on. More information. More…" she says, gesturing like she is
pulling something toward her.
"She took it away," I tell her sadly.
"She took the guitar case away," Bay parrots me. She looks pensive for a
moment. Then she gets an idea on her face.
"Okay, so maybe the guitar case," she signs guitar case again, "is my dad's.
And, maybe the stuff inside could help me find him."
I remember the boxes in my garage. "Maybe it's in my garage."
"You can drive and open things?" How did she get that out of garage? I repeat
my signs again. Then she gets it.
"Garage? Garage! Your garage," she says proudly.
"Regina." Her name sign.
"Okay, Regina."
"Left boxes." I mime large boxes.
"She left boxes? Boxes! She has boxes in your garage." "YES"
Continuing, she says, "Maybe the guitar case is there! Can we go look, now?"
For some reason, I want to stretch this out as long as possible. Plus, my mom
is home and I really don't want to explain why we are rummaging through Regina's
stuff. Since Mom and Dad told me they are divorcing, I have tried to stay on
mom's good side. This would definitely push her to the "bad side."
Thinking about that conversation, I almost want to share it with Bay. Ever
since Mom told me her and Dad "had just grown apart" and had decided to divorce,
I wanted to talk to someone about it. Daphne knows a little, but I haven't told
her everything. She doesn't handle change well, truth be told. Never has,
probably never will. Bay seems different, though. Maybe some other time.
"Tomorrow?" I sign and mouth to her.
"Tomorrow?" She's getting good at this. I smile widely at her. "YES"
"It's a date!" she says with a smile of her own.
I just smiled wider.
#--------------
Stopping at a diner on the way home, I got my first look at a prejudiced
point of view toward a deaf person ordering food. After I ordered my burger and
fries, the waitress asked Emmett what he wanted. He pointed to his selection.
The waitress just kind of stared at him. He pointed to his ear and then pointed
to his selection again. Writing it down, she walks away, but not before I heard
her mumble "Stupid deafies."
That bitch! I certainly wasn't going to tell Emmett what she said. I would
never hurt him like that. I was, however, going to say something to HER!
"Emmett, I'll be right back. I have to use the restroom," I told him. He
nodded and went back to looking at the dessert list on the table.
Making my way over to the waitress, she smiles at me. "Something I can do for
you, hon?"
"Yeah. You can apologize!" I tell her irritably.
She takes a step back. "Excuse me?"
"I heard what you said about my friend. And I DIDN'T like it!"
She stood there with her mouth hanging open. Seizing the opportunity, I tell
her, " If you want a nice, fat tip after we are done, I suggest you be nice when
you come back with our food!"
"Yes. Okay. I'm sorry. I'll apologize to your boyfriend too," she tells me.
"Don't bother. Just don't bother." I didn't bother correcting her about
Emmett. Let her assume.
When I got back to the table, Emmett smiled broadly at me. "Thank you," he
signs.
Taken aback, I ask, "For what?"
He thumbs toward the waitress.
Embarrassed, I blush. "How did you know?"
He points to our left. A large sign proclaims "RESTROOMS".
"You went right. Toward the waitress station," he tells me smugly.
"How….?" I am speechless.
He only smiled in response and took my hand. He was still holding my hand
when the waitress came with our food.
I could hold his hand forever.
#-------------
Stopping at a diner on the way home, I am again met with the prejudice of an
ignorant hearing person. After Bay ordered her food, the waitress turned to me.
I pointed to the grilled chicken sandwich with fries. The waitress gives me a
"huh" look. I point to my ear "I'm deaf" and point to my selection again. The
waitress rolls her eyes and writes down my selection. After she walked away, Bay
said, "Emmett, I'll be right back. I have to use the restroom."
I nodded at her and started reading the dessert list. Out of the corner of my
eye, I see Bay head right. Looking up, I see the restrooms to our left. What is
she doing? A second later, it dawns on me. What did the waitress say to piss Bay
off? I smiled to myself. Bay was pretty special.
After a few minutes, Bay came back to the table. Smiling broadly, I sign
"Thank you" to her.
Bay looked confused. "For what?"
I thumb toward the waitress.
Bay blushed bright red. "How did you know?"
Trying hard not to laugh, I point to our left. A large sign proclaims
"RESTROOMS".
"You went right. Toward the waitress station," I tell her.
"How…?" Apparently she was speechless.
I smiled at her and took her hand. I was still holding her hand when the
waitress came with our food.
I could hold her hand forever.
#-----------
The next day, I am anxious. Would we find the guitar case? What was in it?
All day, I kept checking my phone, waiting for a message from Emmett. What was
taking so long? Was he building the suspense on purpose?
That night, I am sitting at the table watching my phone when Daphne comes in.
She doesn't see me, so I wave to get her attention.
"Don't you still need those?" She had put the cooking utensils she borrowed
for cooking class back in the holder.
"No…I think I'm done with that class," Daphne says, sounding...defeated?
Getting up from the table, I sit at the bar. "What happened? Wilkie make one
too many jokes about braising your loins?"
Daphne just stared at me. Not even a smile? Whoa! She really is upset.
She asks me if I heard about the deaf girl who almost got run over in the
parking lot. Shocked, I ask if she is okay, but she ignores the question. She
then tells me she almost started a fire in cooking class.
Trying to cheer her up, I tell her about my friend that stapled his finger to
his Spanish test, about the girl who wet herself in band because the director
wouldn't let her leave. When I told her about the kid who almost electrocuted
himself, she finally smiled and laughed.
"Okay, you can stop. Thanks," Daphne said, still smiling.
I told her how I always got the impression that she didn't care what other
people thought of her. She told me she didn't have the best memories of a
hearing school.
Listening to her tell about her being picked on and how she never got
Valentines or Birthday invitations, how she always ate alone, I realized Daphne
still held on to those memories and feelings. She put on a strong front, but, I
could still see how hurt she still felt all these years later.
Then she told me how she met Emmett. How he ran up to the little brats that
were picking on her and screamed in their faces. How he told them-the only time
he had ever spoken to Daphne's knowledge- not to ever talk to her again. I could
see 8 year old Emmett in my mind, defending Daphne. In another life, that would
have been me he defended. I could have been that little girl. I smiled at
Emmett's thoughtfulness.
She was telling me about Melody and Emmett taking her home and Melody telling
Regina they were going to learn sign when my phone beeped. It was a message from
Emmett.
"Coast is clear. Come over now."
I actually felt bad now. I was dying to find the guitar case, but at the same
time, I was finally starting to understand Daphne better.
"Everything okay?" she asked me.
"Yeah," I tell her.
"Do you need to go?"
"Yeah," I tell her sadly. As much as I want to see Emmett, this is the first
time Daphne and I have had a really good conversation in awhile.
"It's okay. Go."
Heading toward the door, I turn to face her again. "I just have to say, If
you can survive all that, Buckner really shouldn't be that big of a deal. I hope
you stay," I tell her sincerely.
Daphne smiles. "Thanks."
I smile back and head out the door. Jumping in Toby's car, I text Emmett to
tell him I'm on my way.
#---------
"Come on, Mom! Leave already!" That is the thought that has been
tumbling through my head for the past two hours. I'm anxious because I want to
see Bay. I'm actually hoping we DON'T find the guitar case. I like spending time
with Bay. She is pretty, sassy, funny, spunky…the list just goes on and on.
Finally, Mom says, "I'm heading to Regina's. Be back in a few hours. Behave!"
she teases.
I wave her off. As soon as the door closed, I text Bay. "Coast is clear. Come
over now."
As I patiently-(sort of)- wait for Bay's response, I thought back to the
diner and how Bay stood up for me. How many hearing people would do that? Not
many, I assume. Finally my phone buzzes. "On my way now," it reads. Excellent.
#-------------
I ring the doorbell when I get to Emmett's house. He opens the door
immediately. Was he standing there waiting?
Suddenly nervous, I say, "Hi!"
He smiles and waves.
Unconsciously, I stare at him. Remembering what Daphne told me, I wished I
had someone like him in my life to protect me like that. Then jerks like Liam
and Ty wouldn't have stepped on my heart and ground it into the pavement. Maybe
I wouldn't be so apprehensive about someone new entering my life. I wouldn't be
so scared of getting hurt yet again. I really wanted to be a better person for
Emmett. He didn't deserve someone with my baggage.
I don't know how long I stared at him before he asked me if I was okay.
Flustered, I nod. "Ready?"
He nods yes, so we head out to his garage.
#---------
I'm standing by the door impatiently waiting for Bay. Finally, I see the
doorbell light above the door flash. My idea was to wait a moment, but I flung
open the door anyway. I see a smiling Bay on my doorstep.
"Hi!" she says. She looks very nervous.
I smile and wave at her.
Bay just stands there. Why is she staring at me? Not that I mind. It gives me
a chance to stare at her too. Realizing we are losing time, I ask her if she is
okay.
She nods and says, "Ready?"
I nod and we head to my garage.
#-----------
The first thing I see is a mass of boxes. Not sure who's is what, I search
through them all. Old report cards, picture albums, tools. All typical stuff.
Nothing that looks like a guitar case. As I walk around the corner, I see Emmett
with a pirate hat and eye patch on. He has an "Argh" expression and is rocking
his arm back and forth. I try not to laugh, but he just looks too funny.
"You don't make a very scary pirate," I tell him. He points at himself like
"I don't?"
"No." Emmett takes off the patch and hat and fixes his hair. Is he
self-conscious? NAH!
Looking around, I tell him, "I don't think the guitar case is in here. We
would have found it by now."
Emmett shrugs. A briefcase a couple feet away suddenly catches my eye.
"What's that? Looks official," I say more to myself than to Emmett. Grabbing it,
I open it up and look inside. The first thing I pull out is a manila envelope.
Inside is a cassette tape. It reads, "Love songs for Regina." Flipping it over,
the back reads, "So the baby knows good music. All my love, A.S."
A.S.- My father's initials? I turn to Emmett excitedly. "Maybe that's my dad!
A. So, Adam, Aaron, Andrew…" Emmett fingerspells something then waves his hands
around like… a sword? Okay then.
"Or whoever that is!" I tell him jokingly. "Ok, lets see what else is in
here."
Rummaging through more papers, I find a file folder at the bottom. Curious, I
open it. Inside is a Birth Certificate. YES!
"It's Daphne's birth certificate. I mean, my birth certificate!" I read
through it quickly. "October 22nd, 1:22 A.M., 6.5 lbs. Mother: Regina Vasquez.
Father: Angelo Sorrento." Finally, I have his name!
Turning toward Emmett, I tell him excitedly, "That's him! That's my dad!
Angelo Sorrento! Angelo Sorrento's my dad. I'm Angelo Sorrento's daughter."
Without much thought, I throw my arms around Emmett and hug him. He hugs me back
quickly. Pulling away, we stare at the certificate . Finally, I have a name. Now
I can start looking in earnest. And it was all because of Emmett.
"Thank you," I sign.
He smiles. I love his smile.
#------------------------
As Bay and I are looking for the case, I spy a pirate hat and eye patch that
I used for trick or treating a few years back. Putting them on, I wait for Bay
to notice. When she comes around the corner, I make an "Argh" face and try to
imitate a swagger.
Bay smiles. "You don't make a very scary pirate."
"I don't?" I ask, pointing to myself. Trying not to laugh, Bay says, "No."
Pulling off the hat and patch, I self-consciously fix my hair.
"I don't think the guitar case is in here. We would have found it by now."
Every time she signs something I taught her, I gives me a happy feeling inside.
That I taught her and she is willing to use it to talk to me gives me a hope
that one day we can be more than friends. I want her to want me.
I just shrug. Looking around, I see she is right. Well, if it isn't here, the
only other place it would be is with Regina. I look back at Bay. Her attention
has been caught by something a couple feet away. The briefcase?
"What's that? Looks official," she says more to herself than to me. Pulling
down the case, she opens it. Inside are papers. I start to look through the top
half. She opens a manila envelope and pulls out a tape. Reading it, I see it
says, "Love songs for Regina." Bay then turns it over. Reading it, I see, "So
the baby knows good music. All my love, A.S." Bay's dad? Has to be.
Bay is now excited. "Maybe that's my dad. A. So, Adam, Aaron, Andrew…"
Trying to be funny, I sign "Anakin Skywalker" and imitate a light saber. Bay
obviously doesn't get it. "Or whoever that is."
We rummage through the case for another minute. Bay pulls out a file folder.
Inside is a Birth Certificate. I read Daphne's name. It's her birth certificate,
Bay's. We read it together.
"October 22nd, 1:22 A.M., 6.5 lbs. Mother: Regina Vasquez. Father: Angelo
Sorrento."
At the same time, Bay turns to me. "That's him! That's my dad! Angelo
Sorrento. Angelo Sorrento's my dad. I'm Angelo Sorrento's daughter."
Suddenly, she throws her arms around me and hugs me. I hold her tightly. I
love the way she feels pressed against me. Pulling away, we look at the
certificate again.
"Thank you," she signs.
I can't help smiling. She smiles back. I love her smile.
#---------
Just before I left to head back home, I decided to tell Emmett what an
awesome job he did at the fundraiser. He just shrugged like it was no big deal.
"No, really! You saved them. Without you, they wouldn't have been able to
play nearly as well."
"I only did it because Daphne asked me to," he mouthed slowly.
Not sure how he would react to the next part, I hesitated. Seeing my
hesitation, Emmett signs, "What is it?"
"I wanted to apologize for "Black Hole" Katie."
He looks at me confused. "Who?"
"That girl…at the party. The one who was trying to talk to you." Recognition
dawns on his face.
"Oh, her," he mouths, looking down. I see him blush. Looking back up at me,
he smirks. "Black Hole?"
"We call her "The Black Hole" because she has a personality like a black
hole. She vacuums everything in, and nothing good ever comes back out. She's
spiteful and cruel, and I'm sorry she treated you like that."
Emmett stares at me for a second. Reaching out, he places his hand along my
cheek. For a moment, we stood like that. I thought he might kiss me. I actually
kind of wanted him to.
Finally, he mouths, "You don't know how much that means to me. Thank you."
I smiled. "You don't deserve to be treated like dirt. Not all hearing girls
are like that, just so you know."
"I know. You're not," he mouthed simply.
I blush again. How does he make me feel so special without even trying?
"Bay? I need to tell you something. About Toby."
"What?" What could he know about Toby?
"The other night, the night of your dinner with Ty, Daphne and I were playing
poker with Toby and his friends. I think he has a real problem. He wanted us to
cheat for him, to get him more money. I thought you should know." he mouths all
this slowly so I get everything.
Now him grabbing me in the hall made sense. How deep is he in? Could I have
stopped this? If I told Mom and Dad the truth, would it have made a difference?
How could he USE them like that? They aren't trained monkeys.
"I'm sorry." I don't know what else to say to him. My mind is blank.
#------------------
Just before Bay left to go home, she told me she thought I did an awesome job
at the fundraiser. Shrugging, I told her, "No big deal."
"No, really! You saved them. Without you, they wouldn't have been able to
play nearly as well."
"I only did it because Daphne asked me to." Not the whole truth, but I
wouldn't tell her the rest of why I went.
She hesitated for a second. "What is it?" I ask her.
"I wanted to apologize for "Black Hole" Katie."
"Who?" I have no idea who that is.
"That girl….at the party. The one who was trying to talk to you." Recognition
floods through me.
"Oh, her." Looking down, I feel myself blush. I hadn't realized she saw that
exchange. Looking back up, I smirk. "Black Hole?"
"We call her "The Black Hole" because she has a personality like a black
hole. She vacuums everything in, and nothing good ever comes back out. She is
spiteful and cruel, and I'm sorry she treated you like that."
I could only stare. Reaching out, I place my hand along her cheek. For a
moment, we stood like this. I wanted to kiss her so badly. Would she want me to?
"You don't know how much that means to me. Thank you," I tell her simply.
She smiled. "You don't deserve to be treated like dirt. Not all hearing girls
are like that, just so you know."
"I know. You're not," I tell her.
She blushed again. She is so pretty when she blushes.
I decided to tell her about Toby and the poker game. I hoped that she didn't
think I was trying to rat her brother out. But I really felt she should know.
"Bay? I need to tell you something. About Toby." How would she take it?
"What?" she asks with a question on her face.
"The other night, the night of your dinner with Ty, Daphne and I were playing
poker with Toby and his friends. I think he has a real problem. He wanted us to
cheat for him, to get him more money. I thought you should know." I braced for
impact.
She stood there speechless. Finally, she said, "I'm sorry." I don't think she
knew what else to say.
#-------------
The next day, I got on my laptop and typed in Angelo Sorrento. 45 in the U.S.
Excitedly, I send a text to Emmett, "45 Angelo Sorrento's in the U.S., 3 in
Missouri, 1 is mine."
Now, we have a great lead.
#--------------------
The next day, I am sitting on my bed when my phone vibrates. Picking it up, I
smile. It's a text from Bay. "45 Angelo Sorrento's in the U.S., 3 in Missouri, 1
is mine."
Now we have a great lead.
#------
Disclaimer: Switched At Birth is owned by Lizzy Weiss and ABC Family. No
copyright infringement is meant. I am using the characters for entertainment
purposes only.
Disclaimer: There will be "M" rated themes in later chapters......
#-----------
Chapter 4- episode 6
I went to my studio to paint. Thinking about the conversation with Emmett, I
smile to myself. He was so sweet to be worried like that. Talking with him, I
forgot about everything for a few minutes. Afterward, the pain came back though.
Liam…Ty…. Why does it always hurt so much? I keep giving my heart away and it
keeps getting stepped on. Do I really want to get hurt again? I'm 15 and
sometimes I feel dead inside from the pain. Why does it have to be this way?
Emmett clearly has feelings for Daphne. Maybe we could at least be friends. I
would have to learn sign. Truthfully, I should know more than I do. Daphne has
taught me a little, but I never saw the point to learn everything. Maybe now I
have a reason. Who am I kidding here? Maybe Emmett doesn't even want to be my
friend. He probably saw that something was wrong and wanted to help. He is a
nice guy like that. It doesn't mean he wants to date me. I mean, the guy doesn't
even hang out with hearing people.
Why did I have to ruin it? Asking him if he wanted to 'fill the bill'
probably made him want to run in the other direction. ARRGH…..stop
over-analyzing it! He saw you felt bad and he wanted to help you. END OF STORY!
Who am I kidding? I wanted it to mean more.
#----------------------
After I talked with Bay, I went for a ride. Stopping at a park nearby, I took
some pictures. Remembering the conversation with Bay, I smile to myself. She was
so sad and lost. My heart was breaking with hers. Why do these jerks all treat
her like she is something that is disposable? Her heart gets broken like
everyone else. She puts on a strong front, but I see the little girl inside
crying for attention. Could we be friends? Would she want to? She would have to
learn sign, of course. I'm actually surprised she doesn't know more. Maybe she
doesn't want to learn? ARRGH…stop over-thinking this! She was sad and I wanted
to help her. END OF STORY!
Who am I kidding? I wanted it to mean more.
#-----------
Relaxing in my bedroom, I am playing on the computer when I'm suppost to be
working on my History paper. I pull up the picture of Regina that Daphne gave me
a few weeks ago. I change the colors and distort the image a bit. Suddenly, I
see in the corner of the car window a paper of some sort. Zooming in, I see it
is a parking pass. Trying to zoom in again, the image gets distorted and I can't
read it. Darn it! There has to be a way to sharpen the image. A photographer
would know how. Who did I know who was in to photography?
Mom knocked on the door, startling me. Quickly I close the picture and pull
up my paper. Mom asks me to come downstairs and try the dinner Daphne made. I'm
not sure who is the better cook now, Mom or Daphne. The only problem with
Daphne's food is its always vegetarian. Although, this Greek lasagna she made
actually tastes good. Mom asks Daphne if she wants to take cooking classes at
Buckner. Daphne is excited, but hesitant. She looks at me.
"Are you sure you are okay with this?"
Thinking about the best answer, I decide on, "Well, we already basically live
in the same house. If I can't handle seeing you for an hour a day at my school,
I've got bigger problems."
Daphne smiled, so I guess I said the right thing. Truth was, I felt terrible
about the whole Liam ordeal, and felt I needed to make it up to her. If taking
cooking classes at Buckner made her happy, who was I to say no?
Later that day, I met Toby in the hallway. Rather, he stopped me as I was
trying to go upstairs. He reminded me of the time I borrowed the money from him
for the paintbrushes, which at the time was code for getting money to fix Ty's
truck. Toby wants a return on his favor and asks me for $200. I tell him my
piggy bank is on lockdown till spring break.
Suddenly, Toby grabs my upper arm roughly. I can feel his fingers digging
into my arm. I try to pull away, but he tightens his grip. Toby looks at me with
a mix of desperation and anger on his face. I am suddenly afraid.
"It's just $200! You OWE me!" Toby says angrily. His fingers dig in tighter.
"Okay! Fine." I say. Anything to get him to let go.
Finally, he releases my arm. It is numb where his fingers were. I thought for
a moment before that Toby might hit me. Just how deep is he in? I have never
seen him this desperate before. For the first time, I realized I didn't know my
brother as well as I thought I did. He needs help. Giving him money isn't going
to fix the problem. It will just make it worst.
"Thank you," Toby says, anger still evident in his voice.
I walk upstairs, absently rubbing my arm. It is sore from his grip. Will it
leave a bruise? I am truly afraid for Toby. What will he do now?
#-------------
"Hey, I don't need a ride today. Riding in with Toby and Bay," was the text
that greeted me when I got out the shower.
I knew Daphne was starting cooking classes today. I wasn't sure why she
wanted to, though. She hated hearing schools.
"Do you need a ride after or are you covered?" I send back.
"Yes, please. You can pick me up by the library. Bay says it's by the road."
"Alright, let me know when you're ready."
"Thanks! Wish me luck."
"Good luck."
Flopping on my bed, I stare at my wall. Sometimes, I felt like she used me A
LOT. I mean, I do have my own life. It doesn't revolve around Daphne. Sure, she
is my best friend and I would do anything for her. Maybe that's why she uses me
so much. She knows I won't say no. Sometimes, it bothers me how often she needs
a bail out or a ride. That part I don't mind so much. It gives me a chance to
see Bay every now and then, so I never protest too loudly.
What a twisted life I lead. Best friends with one girl, crushing on the
other. If the universe was right, I wouldn't even know Daphne. Or rather, the
girl called Daphne. I would know another Daphne. One with deep chocolate eyes
and curly black hair. I'm so confused.
#------------
After showing Daphne to the kitchen's at Buckner, I head to class. Ever since
Emmett and I talked the other day, I couldn't stop thinking about it. Emmett is
a really great guy. But, he is also Daphne's best friend. Would he tell her? I
didn't think so, but I didn't know him that well, either.
Walking across the yard a little while later, I spot a familiar looking red
head in front of me. He has his back to me and is taking pictures of… trees?
Pictures? He's into photography! Perfect!
Absently, I say his name, "Emmett!" A few seconds later the light goes off.
Duh, he can't hear you. Why do I find it so easy to forget he is deaf?
Coming around to the front of him, I tap his arm and say, "Hey!"
Emmett's face lights up. He smiles and waves at me. Why is he at Buckner? Oh…
"Are you waiting for Daphne?" I ask, using her name sign.
He confirms this by nodding and repeating Daphne's name sign.
I smile while trying to figure out the best way to ask him. Noticing some
pictures in his pocket, I ask if I can look at them, already reaching for them.
He nods his assent, so I take them out to look at them. He has taken pictures
at a train yard. The really cool part, though, was the special effect colors he
had added.
"You're an artist!" I told him, pleased we shared this in common. He smiles
and nods again.
Noticing the picture in my notebook, he points at it.
"Oh." I pulled it out and handed it to him. It's the picture of Regina that I
had been playing with on my laptop. I changed all the colors and made them neon,
instead. Emmett pointed to the picture, his finger on her pregnant belly.
Pointing at me, he mouths, "That's you?"
"Yeah, that's me. But, Regina doesn't know I have it, so…." I mime a zipper
and key being thrown away.
He mimics me and looks at the picture again. Pointing to the car, he does a
thumbs-up and mouths, "Cool car."
Perfect. Maybe it won't sound weird when I ask him now.
"It's my dad's. Whoever that is." Here goes nothing. "You see the parking
sticker in the windshield? I thought it might tell me where he lived or worked."
I point to it.
Emmett mimes like he is blowing up, no, enlarging something. "Yeah, I tried
blowing it up. It just got all blurry." Time to go in for the kill. "You don't
know how to enlarge the image and like, sharpen it, do you?" PLEASE!
Emmett nods again and mouths that he knows how. YES!
"If I sent you a jpeg, could you do that for me?" He thumbs-up again and
mouths, "Sure."
"Thank You!"
"Sure," he repeats.
#-------------
While waiting for Daphne's class to get done, I decide to kill time by taking
pictures of trees and such around Buckner. I am taking these pictures when I
feel a tap on my arm and see dark curls. Bay comes around to my front and waves
"Hey!"
My stomach suddenly knotted up, from nerves or excitement, I wasn't sure. I
smile and wave back.
"Are you waiting for Daphne?" she asks, using Daphne's name sign.
What would she say if I said I was waiting for her? All my life…
"Yes, Daphne," I confirm, using Daphne's name sign again.
Bay smiles. Glancing down, she notices the pictures from the train yard in my
pocket. "Can I look?" she asks.
I nod, holding open my pocket for her to get them out easier. As Bay looks
through them, she smiles broadly. "You're an artist!" In a way.
I nod again and smile. I notice a picture sticking out of her notebook.
Pointing at it, I wait a few seconds for Bay to notice.
She hands me the picture. It is a picture of Regina when she was pregnant
with Daphne…I mean Bay. God, that is still confusing. Bay had changed the colors
to different shades of neon. I was rather impressed. It looked awesome. Pointing
to the picture, at Regina's belly, I ask "That's you?" even though I knew the
answer.
"Yeah, that's me. But, Regina doesn't know I have it, so…" she mimes zipping
her mouth shut and throwing away the key. I think the gesture is adorable, so I
mimic her. Pointing to the car in the picture, I tell her it is a cool car.
"It's my dad's. Whoever that is." I nod again. This is frustrating. I really
wished that she knew sign so I could talk to her instead of nodding like an
idiot. I notice she is talking again.
"You see the parking sticker in the windshield?" She points to it. "I thought
it might tell me where he lived or worked."
I ask her if she tried enlarging it. She looks confused for a second, but
then it clicks. "Yeah. I tried blowing it up. It just got all blurry." Suddenly,
she gets a look on her face like she has an idea. UH-OH!
"You don't know how to enlarge the image and like, sharpen it, do you?" she
asks hopefully. I release the breath I didn't know I had been holding.
"Yes, I know how." Her face lights up.
"You do? If I sent you a jpeg, could you do that for me?" she asks shyly.
I give her a thumbs-up and mouth "Sure."
"Thank you!"
"Sure." Giddy now, I relish this chance to help her. Here's my chance to
start to get to know her better.
Later that evening, after looking at the picture she sent me, I notice
something much easier to figure out than the parking sticker. Did she miss the
license plate on accident or on purpose?
#-------------
A few days later, I am doing homework in the courtyard at Buckner when I hear
an engine approaching. I glance up and am surprised to see Emmett. He pulls to a
stop a few feet in front of me and waves.
"Hey," I said, even though he probably couldn't read my lips from this
distance. Standing up, I grab my stuff and walk over to him.
"What are you doing here?" I ask him when I am closer to him. He has removed
his helmet and is sitting there patiently waiting. He looks a little excited.
Could it be….?
He pulls a piece of paper out of his pocket and hands it to me. "No way! You
were able to read the parking sticker?" I ask him excitedly.
He shakes his head "No" and points to a line on the paper. Reading it, I get
more excited. "The address where my dad's car is? How did you find this?"
Emmett again points to another line. I wish he could talk so he didn't have
to keep pointing. I was suddenly curious to know what his voice sounded like.
Maybe someday I would know.
Reading what he has pointed at, I have a "duh" moment. "Oh, the license plate
number." I laugh a little at my stupidity. "I guess that's more useful than the
parking sticker. I've had that picture for weeks and I never once thought of
doing that. You're a genius!"
Emmett does a cute shrug and mouths "I know."
Thinking I should thank him properly, but realizing I don't know the sign for
"Thank you" I decide to ask him. Emmett places the tips of his fingers against
his chin and then pulls his hand away, facing upward. "Thank you," he mouths at
the same time.
"Ah, thank you." I repeat the sign he used. Simple enough to remember. He
repeats the sign to show me I did it right. Then he gets a huge grin on his
face.
Feeling like a good step has been taken between us, I'm glad I could make him
happy over such a little thing. Maybe not so little to him. Actually not so
little to me either.
Looking over the paper some more, I read it more carefully.
"So this is where the car was last year….maybe it's still there." I get
excited again. "Maybe, if we find the car, we can trace the ownership all the
way back to my dad!"
Emmett makes a gesture like "Ok" and reaches for his spare helmet. He holds
it out to me invitingly.
"Oh, you want to go there now?" I ask him. My stomach is getting nervous now.
I've never been on a motorcycle before.
Emmett mouths, "Why not?" and looks at me invitingly again. He really has
beautiful blue eyes. I feel like I could drown in those blue orbs.
"What the hell! Here," I say, handing him the paper as he hands me the
helmet. As he gets the bike ready, I put on the helmet and climb on. Wrapping my
arms around him, he takes off. This isn't so bad. I like this feeling.
It feels right…
#-------
After finding the information about the car, I decide to skip last period and
head to Buckner to surprise Bay. I know she is anxious to find her dad. The
information I found will hopefully make it a little easier. Driving into the
courtyard, I see Bay a few feet away doing homework. I pull up in front of her.
She looks up at my approach and smiles. Walking over to me, she says "What are
you doing here?"
I pull out the paper with the information on it and hand it to her. Her face
lights up.
"No way! You were able to read the parking sticker?"
I shake my head "No" and point to a line on the paper.
"The address where my dad's car is? How did you find this?" she asks, looking
excited.
Trying not to laugh, I point to another line further down. Her face gets a
"duh" look on it. It is rather cute, actually. "Oh, the license plate number. I
guess that's more helpful than the parking sticker. I've had that picture for
weeks and I never once thought of doing that. You're a genius!"
I mentally pat myself on the back. Making a "Yeah, I know" gesture, I smile
at Bay. What she said next shocked and delighted me at the same time.
"How do you say "Thank you" in sign language?" I show her and mouth it at the
same time. She repeats the sign with a smile. I repeated it again to show her
she did it right. It made me happy to see her thank me in my own language. It
was definitely a step in the right direction.
Bay is reading the paper again. "So, this is where the car was last
year….maybe it's still there." I can see the excitement building on her face.
"Maybe, if we find the car, we can trace the ownership all the way back to my
dad!"
Wanting to help her anyway I can, I grab the spare helmet off the back of my
seat and hold it out to her invitingly.
"Oh, you want to go there now?" She suddenly looks nervous. Maybe she has
never been on a motorcycle before. I'm an excellent driver, though. I would
never let her get hurt.
Again, I hold out the helmet. "Why not?"
Finally, she smiles. Bay has a gorgeous smile. It lights up her whole face.
"What the hell! Here," she says, handing me the paper. I hand her the helmet and
start getting the bike ready. I feel her get on and wrap her arms around me. I
like the feeling.
It feels right…
#--------
On the way to find my dad's car, my stomach is a bundle of nerves.
Unconsciously, I tighten my arms around Emmett. A second later, I feel his hand
give my arm a quick squeeze. Can he tell how nervous I am? I didn't realize it
was this far away. We had already been driving for an hour. Should I offer him
gas money? Would he accept it if I did? I loved that he wanted to help me, but
at the same time, I felt bad pulling him away from his life. Daphne is probably
wondering where he is by now. I swear, that girl keeps some close tabs on
Emmett. For someone who isn't interested in him, she sure likes to know what he
is doing all the time. Did he even tell her he is helping me?
Pulled from my thoughts by a tap on my arm, I realize Emmett has stopped the
bike. How long have we been sitting here….at a gas station? Embarrassed now, I
let go of him. Emmett gets off the bike, and helps me off.
"What are we doing?" I ask.
He points to his gas tank. "Low on fuel," he mouths.
Oh. "Oh! Wait…" I say, digging through my bag. I pull out my wallet. "Let me
give you some money." I hold out a $20.
Emmett shakes his head sharply. "No, you don't need to give me money," he
tells me.
"Please? I feel bad making you drive all this way. I'm sure you have better
things to do."
Emmett places his hands on my shoulders. Looking at me squarely, he mouths,
"I'm right where I want to be. Keep your money. This is my gift to you. I want
to help you."
Looking deep in his eyes, I see he is telling me the truth.
"Okay, but I buy dinner." I bargain.
Emmett thinks for a second. "Deal!"
#------------
On the way to her dad's car, my mind is racing. What would we find when we
got there? Would we find her father? I know very little about him. I know he
left when Daphne was 3 and she and Regina never talk about him.
I feel Bay's arms tighten around me. She must be nervous. I don't blame her.
Reaching down, I give her arm a quick squeeze to reassure her. I wish I could
look at her right now.
As luck would have it, I happen to glance at my gas tank and realize it is
almost empty. We have been driving for about an hour. I didn't realize it was
this far away or I would have gotten gas back home. Pulling into a gas station,
I stop in front of the pump. Bay is still hanging on to me. Turning slightly, I
tap her arm to get her attention. She starts, and I realize she must have been
in deep thought. She hadn't realized we had stopped. I see her face turn a
pretty shade of red before she quickly lets go. Getting off the bike, I reach to
help her off as well.
"What are we doing?" she asks.
Pointing to the gas tank, I mouth, "Low on fuel."
"Oh! Wait…" she says before digging in her bag. What is she doing? Finally,
she pulls out her wallet. Trying to hand me a $20, she says, "Let me give you
some money."
I shook my head. As if I would make her pay or even take her money. "No, you
don't need to give me money." I tell her.
"Please? I feel bad making you drive all this way. I'm sure you have better
things to do."
Not really. If I wasn't here, I would probably be hanging with Daphne. No
contest there. Placing my hands firmly on her shoulders, I look her in the eye.
"I'm right where I want to be. Keep your money. This is my gift to you. I want
to help you."
Looking deep in her eyes, I know she knows I am telling her the truth.
"Okay. But, I buy dinner," she tells me.
I consider for a second. "Deal!"
#-----------
Finally pulling into the address, I look around me. Miles of junked vehicles
meet my eyes. Are you kidding me! We'll never find the car in this! We drove all
this way for nothing!
Emmett pulls to a stop a little ways in. Getting off the bike, I take off my
helmet as Emmett does the same. "NO WAY!"
"Great!" I say, rather frustrated now. Emmett motions to me like "Come on."
Seriously!
"What for? We'll never find the car in there. And, even if we do, it won't do
us any good."
Emmett signs something that I don't understand. Does he forget I can't sign?
I do understand "see" though.
Trying to crack a joke, I say, "I hope that's sign for "Because there's a
wizard in there who will make all your dreams come true."
Emmett gives me a look like, "Really?" shakes his head and holds out his hand
to me. Giving him a doubtful look, I take his hand. He pulls me forward. Holding
his hand is nice. I can't help but smile at him.
So our search begins….
#--------------
Finally finding the address I seek, I pull into the driveway. HOLY SHIT! All
I see in front of me is junked vehicles. Well, this could be a problem!
Pulling up a ways in, I hope no one thinks my bike is junk and tosses it
while we look around. My parents got it for me for my 16th birthday a few months
ago. I'd hate to come back and find it gone.
Bay looks irritated. "Great!" she says. After pulling off our helmets, I tell
her "Come on." She throws me a look that clearly says "Seriously?"
"What for? We'll never find the car in there. And, even if we do, it won't do
us any good."
Indulgently, I tell her, "We came all this way. Let's see what's here." She
looks at me confused. Damn! I forgot again.
"I hope that's sign for "Because there's a wizard in there who will make all
your dreams come true."
Looking at her, I think "Really?" Holding out my hand, I wait for her to take
it. Finally she does, and I pull her forward. Holding her hand is nice. I can't
help but smile at her.
So our search begins….
#-----------
Surprisingly, we aren't that far from Emmett's bike when I spot the license
plate. Tapping his arm, I tell him, "Look! I think that's the license plate."
Getting closer, I realize it IS the same car from the picture. Hope flooded
through me. Maybe now I'll get my answers.
Practically running up to the car, I open the door and crawl inside. Checking
the glove compartment, I find it empty. I check both visors…empty. Checking the
back seat, I again find nothing! How could we come all this way for NOTHING? Now
I really felt horrible about dragging Emmett into this.
Climbing back out of the car, I look at Emmett, who has been patiently
waiting for me. "There's nothing here," I tell him. Feeling tears well in my
eyes, I vent my frustration by kicking the car. Emmett looks at me concerned.
Feeling the need to talk, I don't even care that the only other person here
can't hear me.
"I don't know what I was thinking. That we drive up to my dad's house, and
he'd throw open his arms and be like "There you are! I've been waiting for you
for 16 years!"
Emmett looks at me sadly. Feeling rather childish for reacting like that, I
tell him "I'm sorry."
The whole time I ranted and fumed, Emmett just stood there watching me,
taking it all in. How many guys would stand there and listen while a woman did
that? Not many. Listen? Nah! Run screaming in the other direction would be more
accurate.
"You know what's amazing? You are the BEST listener I know." Emmett smiles
broadly and drops his head shyly. Oh, now I embarrassed him. That wasn't my
intent. I just wanted to thank him.
"Take another look. You may still find something," Emmett slowly mouths. What
the hell do I have to lose?
#-------------
Amazingly, we are only a couple hundred feet from my bike when Bay taps my
arm. "I think that's the license plate." Getting closer, I see it is the same
car from the picture.
Bay runs up and opens the door, climbing inside. I see her rummaging around,
checking the visors. A couple minutes later, she climbs back out. Her
crestfallen face tells me we came for nothing. She then confirmed it.
"There's nothing here."
I want to comfort her, but before I can move, she kicks the car and starts
ranting. I stand there waiting for her to wind down. It takes her a few minutes.
"I don't know what I was thinking. That we drive up to my dad's house, and
he'd throw open his arms and be like, " There you are. I've been waiting for you
for 16 years."
I look at her, standing there on the verge of tears, and I feel this sudden
need to protect her. To take care of her.
"I'm sorry," Bay finally winds down. Her next words made me smile.
"You know what's amazing? You are the best listener I know."
A deaf guy is a good listener to her? The guys she hangs out with must never
shut up. Either that or they're complete idiots. I blush at my thoughts and look
down.
To cover my embarrassment, I tell her, "Take another look. You may still find
something."
#---------------
After giving the car another look at Emmett's insistence, I am surprised to
find a red guitar pick stuck in the back seat. Who left it behind? My dad?
Regina? Who cares, it's mine now. I pull it out to show Emmett, who has his
camera in hand and has been snapping pictures while he waited. I'm learning
quickly Emmett takes pictures of everything he can. He has even snapped a few of
the two of us today. I think it's awesome he is artsy like that.
"I guess someone played guitar," I tell him, holding up the pick. He snaps a
picture of it. Suddenly, he gets a look on his face like he is remembering
something important. He slowly puts his camera away. Pointing at the pick, he
starts signing fast. Not again!
"Whoa. Whoa, dude. Slow down! You might as well be speaking Russian." He
holds up his hands again and starts over exaggerating his signing. Okay….
"Daphne….you….were short?"
Emmett moves his hands like, "no, no, no" and repeats the signs again. OH!
"Daphne and you were kids! You were kids!"
He points like "YES!" Next..
"You found a guitar…you opened…you opened a guitar case!"
Again "Yes" This is cool!
"You saw.." Okay "no" this time…"You didn't see a guitar?" "Yes"
"This is the most rocking game of charades ever!" I tell him excitedly.
"Sorry. Keep going."
He makes a sign by his face and mimes someone walking.
"Someone walked in?"
He makes another sign, different from the first, then he starts finger
spelling. Okay I kinda know the alphabet. All I get is "R" though. He keeps
pointing at me.
"R. R. My R… My…. Regina? Regina walked in and saw you guys…" He makes a
gesture like he is ripping off his face. "and freaked out!" Okay, so that case
is definitely important.
"Then what happened?" I was dying to know. Emmett shrugs. That can't be it!
"What? NO! Come on. You don't know anything else? You can't guess or
something? Come on. More information. More…." I tell him, practically begging.
He mimes something being taken away. Figures. "She took the guitar case
away," I guess. He looks at me sadly.
Now what? I need to find that case. But, where?
"Okay, so maybe the guitar case…" I sign guitar case, "is my dad's. And maybe
the stuff inside could help me find him."
Emmett starts signing again. "You can drive and open things?" Huh? That
doesn't make sense. He repeats the signs. OH!
"Garage? Garage! Your garage." He makes Regina's name sign again. "Okay,
Regina.." He then mimes big boxes. "She left boxes? Boxes! She left boxes in
your garage!" He points again "Yes" This is really fun, but at the same time I
feel bad. How often does he have to do this with a hearing person? I promised
myself I would start learning sign tonight. I wanted to be able to talk to him.
"Maybe the guitar case is there. Can we go look, now?" I ask him, hopeful.
Emmett signs and mouths, "Tomorrow?"
I got it. "Tomorrow?"
He nods his head and gives me a very sexy smile. God, he is HOT!
"It's a date!" I tell him
He smiles wider.
#------------------
After convincing Bay to take a second look in the car, I snap pictures for a
few minutes. I even snap a couple of Bay when she isn't paying attention.
Tapping my arm to get my attention, she points to a red guitar pick stuck in the
back seat. Who's is it? Her father's? Regina never played a guitar to my
knowledge.
"I guess someone played guitar," Bay said, almost mirroring my thoughts. She
pulled it from the back seat and held it out. I decide to snap a picture of it.
Suddenly, a long ago memory jumps to the front of my mind. Slowly, I put my
camera away and point at the pick. Bay gives me a questioning look.
"When Daphne and I were little, we found a guitar case."
"Whoa! Whoa, dude. Slow down. You might as well be speaking Russian," Bay
tells me. Okay, slow down and speak slowly. Over exaggerating my signs, I try
again.
"Daphne." Bay repeats me. "Daphne."
"Me." Again. "You."
"Were little." Bay guesses, "Were short?"
I wave my hands, "No, no." and repeat the signs. Click!
"Daphne and you were kids! You were kids!"
I point at her. "Yes!"
I continue. "We found a guitar case."
"You found a guitar? You opened….you opened a guitar case!" "Yes"
"We didn't see a guitar."
"You saw…" "NO, NO" "You didn't see a guitar?" "Yes"
"We saw pictures."
Bay loses track for a minute. "This is the most rocking game of charades
ever! Sorry. Keep going."
She missed the last part, so I skip it to go to the important part of the
story. "Regina walked in."
"Someone walked in."
"Your mom, Regina. R-E-G. YOUR MOM!"
"R. R. My R… My…Regina? Regina walked in and saw you guys."
I make a sign like I am ripping my face off.
"And freaked out!" At least she got it.
"Then what happened?" she asked excitedly. For not knowing sign, she wasn't
doing half bad. Now comes the bad news.
"I don't know," I tell her.
"What? No, come on! You don't know anything else? You can't guess or
something? Come on. More information. More…" she says, gesturing like she is
pulling something toward her.
"She took it away," I tell her sadly.
"She took the guitar case away," Bay parrots me. She looks pensive for a
moment. Then she gets an idea on her face.
"Okay, so maybe the guitar case," she signs guitar case again, "is my dad's.
And, maybe the stuff inside could help me find him."
I remember the boxes in my garage. "Maybe it's in my garage."
"You can drive and open things?" How did she get that out of garage? I repeat
my signs again. Then she gets it.
"Garage? Garage! Your garage," she says proudly.
"Regina." Her name sign.
"Okay, Regina."
"Left boxes." I mime large boxes.
"She left boxes? Boxes! She has boxes in your garage." "YES"
Continuing, she says, "Maybe the guitar case is there! Can we go look, now?"
For some reason, I want to stretch this out as long as possible. Plus, my mom
is home and I really don't want to explain why we are rummaging through Regina's
stuff. Since Mom and Dad told me they are divorcing, I have tried to stay on
mom's good side. This would definitely push her to the "bad side."
Thinking about that conversation, I almost want to share it with Bay. Ever
since Mom told me her and Dad "had just grown apart" and had decided to divorce,
I wanted to talk to someone about it. Daphne knows a little, but I haven't told
her everything. She doesn't handle change well, truth be told. Never has,
probably never will. Bay seems different, though. Maybe some other time.
"Tomorrow?" I sign and mouth to her.
"Tomorrow?" She's getting good at this. I smile widely at her. "YES"
"It's a date!" she says with a smile of her own.
I just smiled wider.
#--------------
Stopping at a diner on the way home, I got my first look at a prejudiced
point of view toward a deaf person ordering food. After I ordered my burger and
fries, the waitress asked Emmett what he wanted. He pointed to his selection.
The waitress just kind of stared at him. He pointed to his ear and then pointed
to his selection again. Writing it down, she walks away, but not before I heard
her mumble "Stupid deafies."
That bitch! I certainly wasn't going to tell Emmett what she said. I would
never hurt him like that. I was, however, going to say something to HER!
"Emmett, I'll be right back. I have to use the restroom," I told him. He
nodded and went back to looking at the dessert list on the table.
Making my way over to the waitress, she smiles at me. "Something I can do for
you, hon?"
"Yeah. You can apologize!" I tell her irritably.
She takes a step back. "Excuse me?"
"I heard what you said about my friend. And I DIDN'T like it!"
She stood there with her mouth hanging open. Seizing the opportunity, I tell
her, " If you want a nice, fat tip after we are done, I suggest you be nice when
you come back with our food!"
"Yes. Okay. I'm sorry. I'll apologize to your boyfriend too," she tells me.
"Don't bother. Just don't bother." I didn't bother correcting her about
Emmett. Let her assume.
When I got back to the table, Emmett smiled broadly at me. "Thank you," he
signs.
Taken aback, I ask, "For what?"
He thumbs toward the waitress.
Embarrassed, I blush. "How did you know?"
He points to our left. A large sign proclaims "RESTROOMS".
"You went right. Toward the waitress station," he tells me smugly.
"How….?" I am speechless.
He only smiled in response and took my hand. He was still holding my hand
when the waitress came with our food.
I could hold his hand forever.
#-------------
Stopping at a diner on the way home, I am again met with the prejudice of an
ignorant hearing person. After Bay ordered her food, the waitress turned to me.
I pointed to the grilled chicken sandwich with fries. The waitress gives me a
"huh" look. I point to my ear "I'm deaf" and point to my selection again. The
waitress rolls her eyes and writes down my selection. After she walked away, Bay
said, "Emmett, I'll be right back. I have to use the restroom."
I nodded at her and started reading the dessert list. Out of the corner of my
eye, I see Bay head right. Looking up, I see the restrooms to our left. What is
she doing? A second later, it dawns on me. What did the waitress say to piss Bay
off? I smiled to myself. Bay was pretty special.
After a few minutes, Bay came back to the table. Smiling broadly, I sign
"Thank you" to her.
Bay looked confused. "For what?"
I thumb toward the waitress.
Bay blushed bright red. "How did you know?"
Trying hard not to laugh, I point to our left. A large sign proclaims
"RESTROOMS".
"You went right. Toward the waitress station," I tell her.
"How…?" Apparently she was speechless.
I smiled at her and took her hand. I was still holding her hand when the
waitress came with our food.
I could hold her hand forever.
#-----------
The next day, I am anxious. Would we find the guitar case? What was in it?
All day, I kept checking my phone, waiting for a message from Emmett. What was
taking so long? Was he building the suspense on purpose?
That night, I am sitting at the table watching my phone when Daphne comes in.
She doesn't see me, so I wave to get her attention.
"Don't you still need those?" She had put the cooking utensils she borrowed
for cooking class back in the holder.
"No…I think I'm done with that class," Daphne says, sounding...defeated?
Getting up from the table, I sit at the bar. "What happened? Wilkie make one
too many jokes about braising your loins?"
Daphne just stared at me. Not even a smile? Whoa! She really is upset.
She asks me if I heard about the deaf girl who almost got run over in the
parking lot. Shocked, I ask if she is okay, but she ignores the question. She
then tells me she almost started a fire in cooking class.
Trying to cheer her up, I tell her about my friend that stapled his finger to
his Spanish test, about the girl who wet herself in band because the director
wouldn't let her leave. When I told her about the kid who almost electrocuted
himself, she finally smiled and laughed.
"Okay, you can stop. Thanks," Daphne said, still smiling.
I told her how I always got the impression that she didn't care what other
people thought of her. She told me she didn't have the best memories of a
hearing school.
Listening to her tell about her being picked on and how she never got
Valentines or Birthday invitations, how she always ate alone, I realized Daphne
still held on to those memories and feelings. She put on a strong front, but, I
could still see how hurt she still felt all these years later.
Then she told me how she met Emmett. How he ran up to the little brats that
were picking on her and screamed in their faces. How he told them-the only time
he had ever spoken to Daphne's knowledge- not to ever talk to her again. I could
see 8 year old Emmett in my mind, defending Daphne. In another life, that would
have been me he defended. I could have been that little girl. I smiled at
Emmett's thoughtfulness.
She was telling me about Melody and Emmett taking her home and Melody telling
Regina they were going to learn sign when my phone beeped. It was a message from
Emmett.
"Coast is clear. Come over now."
I actually felt bad now. I was dying to find the guitar case, but at the same
time, I was finally starting to understand Daphne better.
"Everything okay?" she asked me.
"Yeah," I tell her.
"Do you need to go?"
"Yeah," I tell her sadly. As much as I want to see Emmett, this is the first
time Daphne and I have had a really good conversation in awhile.
"It's okay. Go."
Heading toward the door, I turn to face her again. "I just have to say, If
you can survive all that, Buckner really shouldn't be that big of a deal. I hope
you stay," I tell her sincerely.
Daphne smiles. "Thanks."
I smile back and head out the door. Jumping in Toby's car, I text Emmett to
tell him I'm on my way.
#---------
"Come on, Mom! Leave already!" That is the thought that has been
tumbling through my head for the past two hours. I'm anxious because I want to
see Bay. I'm actually hoping we DON'T find the guitar case. I like spending time
with Bay. She is pretty, sassy, funny, spunky…the list just goes on and on.
Finally, Mom says, "I'm heading to Regina's. Be back in a few hours. Behave!"
she teases.
I wave her off. As soon as the door closed, I text Bay. "Coast is clear. Come
over now."
As I patiently-(sort of)- wait for Bay's response, I thought back to the
diner and how Bay stood up for me. How many hearing people would do that? Not
many, I assume. Finally my phone buzzes. "On my way now," it reads. Excellent.
#-------------
I ring the doorbell when I get to Emmett's house. He opens the door
immediately. Was he standing there waiting?
Suddenly nervous, I say, "Hi!"
He smiles and waves.
Unconsciously, I stare at him. Remembering what Daphne told me, I wished I
had someone like him in my life to protect me like that. Then jerks like Liam
and Ty wouldn't have stepped on my heart and ground it into the pavement. Maybe
I wouldn't be so apprehensive about someone new entering my life. I wouldn't be
so scared of getting hurt yet again. I really wanted to be a better person for
Emmett. He didn't deserve someone with my baggage.
I don't know how long I stared at him before he asked me if I was okay.
Flustered, I nod. "Ready?"
He nods yes, so we head out to his garage.
#---------
I'm standing by the door impatiently waiting for Bay. Finally, I see the
doorbell light above the door flash. My idea was to wait a moment, but I flung
open the door anyway. I see a smiling Bay on my doorstep.
"Hi!" she says. She looks very nervous.
I smile and wave at her.
Bay just stands there. Why is she staring at me? Not that I mind. It gives me
a chance to stare at her too. Realizing we are losing time, I ask her if she is
okay.
She nods and says, "Ready?"
I nod and we head to my garage.
#-----------
The first thing I see is a mass of boxes. Not sure who's is what, I search
through them all. Old report cards, picture albums, tools. All typical stuff.
Nothing that looks like a guitar case. As I walk around the corner, I see Emmett
with a pirate hat and eye patch on. He has an "Argh" expression and is rocking
his arm back and forth. I try not to laugh, but he just looks too funny.
"You don't make a very scary pirate," I tell him. He points at himself like
"I don't?"
"No." Emmett takes off the patch and hat and fixes his hair. Is he
self-conscious? NAH!
Looking around, I tell him, "I don't think the guitar case is in here. We
would have found it by now."
Emmett shrugs. A briefcase a couple feet away suddenly catches my eye.
"What's that? Looks official," I say more to myself than to Emmett. Grabbing it,
I open it up and look inside. The first thing I pull out is a manila envelope.
Inside is a cassette tape. It reads, "Love songs for Regina." Flipping it over,
the back reads, "So the baby knows good music. All my love, A.S."
A.S.- My father's initials? I turn to Emmett excitedly. "Maybe that's my dad!
A. So, Adam, Aaron, Andrew…" Emmett fingerspells something then waves his hands
around like… a sword? Okay then.
"Or whoever that is!" I tell him jokingly. "Ok, lets see what else is in
here."
Rummaging through more papers, I find a file folder at the bottom. Curious, I
open it. Inside is a Birth Certificate. YES!
"It's Daphne's birth certificate. I mean, my birth certificate!" I read
through it quickly. "October 22nd, 1:22 A.M., 6.5 lbs. Mother: Regina Vasquez.
Father: Angelo Sorrento." Finally, I have his name!
Turning toward Emmett, I tell him excitedly, "That's him! That's my dad!
Angelo Sorrento! Angelo Sorrento's my dad. I'm Angelo Sorrento's daughter."
Without much thought, I throw my arms around Emmett and hug him. He hugs me back
quickly. Pulling away, we stare at the certificate . Finally, I have a name. Now
I can start looking in earnest. And it was all because of Emmett.
"Thank you," I sign.
He smiles. I love his smile.
#------------------------
As Bay and I are looking for the case, I spy a pirate hat and eye patch that
I used for trick or treating a few years back. Putting them on, I wait for Bay
to notice. When she comes around the corner, I make an "Argh" face and try to
imitate a swagger.
Bay smiles. "You don't make a very scary pirate."
"I don't?" I ask, pointing to myself. Trying not to laugh, Bay says, "No."
Pulling off the hat and patch, I self-consciously fix my hair.
"I don't think the guitar case is in here. We would have found it by now."
Every time she signs something I taught her, I gives me a happy feeling inside.
That I taught her and she is willing to use it to talk to me gives me a hope
that one day we can be more than friends. I want her to want me.
I just shrug. Looking around, I see she is right. Well, if it isn't here, the
only other place it would be is with Regina. I look back at Bay. Her attention
has been caught by something a couple feet away. The briefcase?
"What's that? Looks official," she says more to herself than to me. Pulling
down the case, she opens it. Inside are papers. I start to look through the top
half. She opens a manila envelope and pulls out a tape. Reading it, I see it
says, "Love songs for Regina." Bay then turns it over. Reading it, I see, "So
the baby knows good music. All my love, A.S." Bay's dad? Has to be.
Bay is now excited. "Maybe that's my dad. A. So, Adam, Aaron, Andrew…"
Trying to be funny, I sign "Anakin Skywalker" and imitate a light saber. Bay
obviously doesn't get it. "Or whoever that is."
We rummage through the case for another minute. Bay pulls out a file folder.
Inside is a Birth Certificate. I read Daphne's name. It's her birth certificate,
Bay's. We read it together.
"October 22nd, 1:22 A.M., 6.5 lbs. Mother: Regina Vasquez. Father: Angelo
Sorrento."
At the same time, Bay turns to me. "That's him! That's my dad! Angelo
Sorrento. Angelo Sorrento's my dad. I'm Angelo Sorrento's daughter."
Suddenly, she throws her arms around me and hugs me. I hold her tightly. I
love the way she feels pressed against me. Pulling away, we look at the
certificate again.
"Thank you," she signs.
I can't help smiling. She smiles back. I love her smile.
#---------
Just before I left to head back home, I decided to tell Emmett what an
awesome job he did at the fundraiser. He just shrugged like it was no big deal.
"No, really! You saved them. Without you, they wouldn't have been able to
play nearly as well."
"I only did it because Daphne asked me to," he mouthed slowly.
Not sure how he would react to the next part, I hesitated. Seeing my
hesitation, Emmett signs, "What is it?"
"I wanted to apologize for "Black Hole" Katie."
He looks at me confused. "Who?"
"That girl…at the party. The one who was trying to talk to you." Recognition
dawns on his face.
"Oh, her," he mouths, looking down. I see him blush. Looking back up at me,
he smirks. "Black Hole?"
"We call her "The Black Hole" because she has a personality like a black
hole. She vacuums everything in, and nothing good ever comes back out. She's
spiteful and cruel, and I'm sorry she treated you like that."
Emmett stares at me for a second. Reaching out, he places his hand along my
cheek. For a moment, we stood like that. I thought he might kiss me. I actually
kind of wanted him to.
Finally, he mouths, "You don't know how much that means to me. Thank you."
I smiled. "You don't deserve to be treated like dirt. Not all hearing girls
are like that, just so you know."
"I know. You're not," he mouthed simply.
I blush again. How does he make me feel so special without even trying?
"Bay? I need to tell you something. About Toby."
"What?" What could he know about Toby?
"The other night, the night of your dinner with Ty, Daphne and I were playing
poker with Toby and his friends. I think he has a real problem. He wanted us to
cheat for him, to get him more money. I thought you should know." he mouths all
this slowly so I get everything.
Now him grabbing me in the hall made sense. How deep is he in? Could I have
stopped this? If I told Mom and Dad the truth, would it have made a difference?
How could he USE them like that? They aren't trained monkeys.
"I'm sorry." I don't know what else to say to him. My mind is blank.
#------------------
Just before Bay left to go home, she told me she thought I did an awesome job
at the fundraiser. Shrugging, I told her, "No big deal."
"No, really! You saved them. Without you, they wouldn't have been able to
play nearly as well."
"I only did it because Daphne asked me to." Not the whole truth, but I
wouldn't tell her the rest of why I went.
She hesitated for a second. "What is it?" I ask her.
"I wanted to apologize for "Black Hole" Katie."
"Who?" I have no idea who that is.
"That girl….at the party. The one who was trying to talk to you." Recognition
floods through me.
"Oh, her." Looking down, I feel myself blush. I hadn't realized she saw that
exchange. Looking back up, I smirk. "Black Hole?"
"We call her "The Black Hole" because she has a personality like a black
hole. She vacuums everything in, and nothing good ever comes back out. She is
spiteful and cruel, and I'm sorry she treated you like that."
I could only stare. Reaching out, I place my hand along her cheek. For a
moment, we stood like this. I wanted to kiss her so badly. Would she want me to?
"You don't know how much that means to me. Thank you," I tell her simply.
She smiled. "You don't deserve to be treated like dirt. Not all hearing girls
are like that, just so you know."
"I know. You're not," I tell her.
She blushed again. She is so pretty when she blushes.
I decided to tell her about Toby and the poker game. I hoped that she didn't
think I was trying to rat her brother out. But I really felt she should know.
"Bay? I need to tell you something. About Toby." How would she take it?
"What?" she asks with a question on her face.
"The other night, the night of your dinner with Ty, Daphne and I were playing
poker with Toby and his friends. I think he has a real problem. He wanted us to
cheat for him, to get him more money. I thought you should know." I braced for
impact.
She stood there speechless. Finally, she said, "I'm sorry." I don't think she
knew what else to say.
#-------------
The next day, I got on my laptop and typed in Angelo Sorrento. 45 in the U.S.
Excitedly, I send a text to Emmett, "45 Angelo Sorrento's in the U.S., 3 in
Missouri, 1 is mine."
Now, we have a great lead.
#--------------------
The next day, I am sitting on my bed when my phone vibrates. Picking it up, I
smile. It's a text from Bay. "45 Angelo Sorrento's in the U.S., 3 in Missouri, 1
is mine."
Now we have a great lead.
#------