Mutism In Love

With You

Reese swallowed down her panic and looked to Hayden who was awaiting an answer.

She nodded.

"Oh, okay." Hayden started, turning to the fridge and opening it. "I'm pretty sure we have some left over pizza from yesterday. Do you want some?" He asked, turning to look at her.

She nodded.

"Cool. We have pepperoni and cheese. Which one do you want?"

"Cheese." She signed using the alphabet. It was too much of a hassel to pull out pen and paper just to write a six letter word.

"Okay." Hayden smiled as he pulled a plate from a cabinet. "You can go sit on the couch, or see what the kids are up to. It'll be ready in a bit."

She nodded.

She couldn't bring herself to try and form conversation. This was new. It was weird. It had never happened before. Never before. Never before in the history of before!

She had seen people that were pleasing to the eye, but she had never felt her heart beat that loud when she had seen them. Never when the smiled, or when their hair fell in their face.

She had never thought someone was cute like this before.

She bit her lip as she sat carefully on the sofa. She looked down to her thighs which had spread over the cushion in all of their thickness. She smiled as she patted her thigh and watched it jiggle. She traced a stretch mark carefully and again patted her thigh. She loved her legs.

She jumped when Hayden had pushed a plate towards her direction. She looked up to him. He had turned his gaze away, biting his lip, his face shading red.

"Sorry." He whispered. "That was bad timing-" He choked. "Damn, this is awkward." He set the plate in Reese's outstretched hands and sat down.

Reese hung her head down, willing her curls to fall into her face to hide her surely red face. When none did, she ruffled her hair, pulling more into the front to cover her face.

"I'm not judging you- and like I'm not-" He stumbled over words. "I actually think big thighs are beautiful. I mean, I think they deserve more love than they get. And stretch marks... stretch marks... I think that-"

Reese silenced him by gently putting her hand over his mouth and burying her head in his shoulder. She brought a finger to her lips and looked up at him, pleading.

He nodded and she lowered her hand slowly, pulling it back to her own body but not raising her head.

"Okay. I'll stop, I'm sorry." He whispered.

Reese closed her eyes and breathed. She could feel the heat under his shirt. His skin was hot- he was embarrassed.

Slowly, she peeled off of him and sat up straight, training her eyes on her plate. She raised the slice of pizza to her lips, taking a bite.

Somehow, she felt her insides flip.

Hayden thought her thighs were beautiful.

The most perfect student in the school, liked by everyone who wasn't jealous, had decided he liked something about her.

Her; Reese Sigil- the mute, rounded girl everyone pitied.

Reese smiled, chewing her pizza slowly. Once she had swallowed she turned to Hayden, surprised to find his hazel eyes already on her.

"Thank you." She signed carefully. Once she was done she stared down at her empty plate, wishing she could just erase the entire interaction.

"For the pizza or...?" Hayden mumbled. "You know what, never-"

"Reese,