Mute » 1D

Chapter 3

Chapter 3


Kashine


I faked my sickness for three days. It was kind of hard, because voice loss could no longer be a symptom to put on my list.

On the last day of school, nobody would be paying attention to the teacher. After all, what can you learn and actually care about in seven hours?

I sat down in the desk at the very back of the class. I made sure my hair was hanging in my face before looking around the room. People-watching. Josh was messing with Annie again, playing with her ponytail and Tasering her often. Andrew was writing bad words on the whiteboard with a black Sharpie. Nikki was sick today, naturally, so her desk was empty. Keith and Miley weren't here yet. I hoped they wouldn't show up. No such luck.

Thirty seconds before the bell rang Keith walked in, and Miley followed, whining at him loudly. He ignored her and sat down beside Josh. She scowled and sat down in a spare desk. They hadn't seen me yet.

The bell rang and the teacher walked in. He began to call roll. My name came up on the list.

"Kashine Douglas?"

I raised my hand weakly, my head still bowed. I glanced up. He was nodding and marking me on his list. I saw Miley's head whip around and she snarled at me. Very unladylike.

I had made the smart move of keeping my journal in my locker, but at the same time there was no way to answer questions now or to communicate with the teacher.

Speaking of which, he swore loudly when he saw the swear words on the whiteboard. "ANDREW!!" he bellowed and proceeded to chase the boy around the classroom. Just a typical day in English class.

Boys and girls stood up and went off into their little cliques to gossip. I knew Miley was advancing towards me; I could hear her footsteps on the tiled floor. I tensed.

"Wake up, Sleeping Ugly," she snapped and slapped me upside the head. I forced myself to look up at her. "You made my boyfriend break up with me," she spat in my face. "You're gonna pay for that!"

I wanted to say it was her own nosiness that got her boyfriend to break up with her, but Miley shoved something in my face. I don't know what it was; I only knew that it smelled like a sewer and was totally sticky and disgusting. "Retard's first makeup," she sneered.

Angrily, I scooped some of the goo off my face and into hers. She screamed. "Ew! Ew! Ew! Gross! Gross! Gross!" she shrieked as she wiped it off. I snickered. "Oh, you think it's funny, retard?" she hissed. She lunged at me and we toppled to the floor. Kicking, screaming, punching. I retaliated furiously.

"Stop it, girls, stop it!" the teacher hollered. Miley was torn off of me and I saw her struggling in Josh's grasp. The teacher grabbed my wrist and I shrieked in pain. He lifted my sleeve before I could stop him.

Cuts, crisscrossed all over my arm. The teacher dropped my wrist. "Kashine...." he said softly.

Keith shoved his way through. He ignored Miley and kneeled beside me. He sucked in a breath. "I'll take her to the nurse," he offered and carefully helped me up. I shook my head rapidly. "You have to," he said. "Those look serious." I whimpered, but did what I was told.

We walked down the hall together in silence. Normally I would be ecstatic, but considering that my most guarded secret was exposed the silence was crackling with tension.

"How long have you been doing this?" Keith asked softly. I was surprised; I had no idea he had a measure of gentleness in him. He was always the football star (after Josh), the funny one everyone wanted to be around. This was new to me.

I shook my head at his question. MYOB.

"You can talk to me now," he said. "Miley's not around."

He thought I couldn't talk if Miley was around to bully me. I wished it were that simple. I shook my head again.

"Come on, Kashine," he said. I looked at him.

We passed by a few more lockers and I stopped. I walked over to the left hallway.

"Uh, Kashine?" Keith called. "The nurse's office is this way." I ignored him. He raced after me.

We stopped at my locker and I unlocked it. I took out my journal and flipped to the most used page:


I can't talk.


I showed him. His expression saddened. "Why not?" he asked. Another much-used page.


I don't know.


"Can you try again?" he asked. I took a deep breath. I opened my mouth, but fear closed my throat. I couldn't breathe. I tried to push through the barrier, but I couldn't. I closed my mouth again and shook my head sadly.

We went to the nurse's office. She bandaged my wounds again and told me that I should stop. I pretended to heed her warning and nodded.

We left and walked back to the classroom. "You really should stop, Kashine," Keith told me. "People here care about you, and they don't want you to die."

My eyes widened in surprise. People cared about me? I wanted to press him about it (I brought my journal with) but he opened the door and went into the classroom before I could ask him about it.



I sat down at my usual table. Miley hadn't showed up yet, not for class either, and I got the feeling she wouldn't be for a while. Finally, lunch in peace.

Someone sat down next to me. Or maybe not. I looked over and nearly had a heart attack. Keith?! I took out my journal and scribbled in it frantically.


What are you doing here?


"Eating," he replied, biting into his quesadilla.


WHY?!


"Because I want to," he said, amused by my caps.


But you're popular, and I'm a loser.


"No, you're not," he said firmly. "You're not a loser; you're a good person, and if I have to sit here to prove it, then I will." I was touched.


Thank you.


"No problem," he replied, winking at me. I smiled. "You should smile more often," he said casually and got up to get a drink. I blinked in surprise and confusion. I should smile more often? I think he likes me....

Euphoria filled me up to the brim and I almost full-fledged grinned. He sat back down. Before I could stop myself, I flung my arms around him and hugged him tight.

"Whoa!" he said and I blushed. I released my grip on him and looked down. He must think I was a weirdo. He probably thought I was a freak!

Silence. I knew it. He hated me. Then:

"You should do that more often too," he said. I looked up and saw he was grinning. I grinned back.



After school, he met me by my locker. "Hope you have a good summer, Kashine," he said, smiling.


You too.


"I will," he said certainly. "I hope to see you next year. And that bitch Miley won't bother you, I promise." More euphoria. I hugged him again. He hugged me back.

I slammed my locker door shut and turned to leave. "Want me to drive you?" Keith asked casually, like this was an everyday thing. I nodded vigorously.

I buckled myself in, excitement making my alien eyes even bigger and my smile even wider. He was smiling too as he adjusted his mirror and began to pull out. Retard to popular in one day. That's got to be a record.

Kids stared at us as we pulled out. "Keith!" Josh shouted. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"Driving Kashine home!" he replied.

"Are you nuts?!"

"No, I'm ecstatic!"

I'd never felt so happy in my life. He began to drive, and since the top of the convertible was down, the wind blew back my hair. I laughed in delight.

He pulled up my driveway and I hopped out. I flashed him a bright smile. Thank you.

"Anytime!" he shouted as he pulled out. I waved until my hand hurt and he was out of sight. Like I said, I could never have been happier.

Who knew my life was about to go crashing down in just a couple of hours?