What was I supposed to do now? The group discussion was starting without me, and where was Kathleen? This was only the second day of school and I was determined not to let myself start falling behind already, even if this was just some silly group discussion. For all I knew, they could be having the most intelligent, thought-provoking group discussion of the last decade.

But how was I supposed to offer input if I couldn’t even figure out what they were saying? What if I mispronounced the name of some business magnate or company or talked too loudly? That would get me even more weird, interested stares from that guy Jackson; he was sitting all the way across the classroom and I could still feel his eyes on me.

I looked up from my tightly clasped hands when I saw a figure tip back in their seat to stick their head into our group. It was Beau, and he was speaking to the girls. I only caught a few words of it. Something like, “You . . . she’s deaf, right? You should . . .”

“Hey!”

Beau and the two girls looked surprised when they turned my way.

“You don’t need to speak for me. Stop sticking your nose in my business.”

I might have spoken a little too harshly—wasn’t like I could tell—because Beau looked like he’d been struck across the face. He started fumbling around for words, saying something like, “I wanted . . . help. I was just trying . . .”

“I don’t want your help,” I snapped, and I meant every word of it. “I don’t need your help. And I am perfectly capable of contributing to the conversation. Like, I don’t think John D. Rockefeller was a very good person even if he was an amazing business man. See?”

This was the exact moment Kathleen arrived, seeming alarmed at the tense atmosphere she just walked into.

WHAT HAPPENED? she signed to me.

NOTHING, I signed back. WAIT FOR YOU BEFORE WE START TALK.

Kathleen did not look convinced, but she nodded, taking her seat, ready to interpret. Beau took this as his cue to return to his own group now, his eyes avoiding mine.

Who said I needed him to be stepping in for me like that? It was obvious to the rest of the class I was Deaf, so where was the point in reminding my group of that?

I decided his apology in sign language didn’t matter. Beau didn’t know anything about my world, and I sincerely doubted he ever would.

Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7