There wasn’t an opportunity to sign or say anything else with the arrival of some preppy looking girl with straight brown hair and a glittering smile, decked out in all sorts of Engelmann High spirit wear. She was pretty—a bit over the top if you asked me, but who was I to judge when this girl looked like she was having a good time?

“Hi! . . . Erica,” the girl said when she laid eyes on me.

I mumbled out my name as I shook Erica’s hand, and she launched into what I was pretty sure was a detailed description of all the clubs they were advertising. I didn’t even bother trying to lip-read what she was saying. I was more interested in the way she kept glancing up at Beau after every few words, almost like she was trying to make sure he was watching her.

If it weren’t for the green and black paint—the school colors—decorating her face, I would’ve thought Erica was blushing.

Connor started tugging on my hand for my attention as I began to wonder just how many clubs and activities Erica did with Beau. She seemed like the type of peppy overachiever who would be after Beau based on their shared interests.

Except Beau wasn’t watching Erica talk. I felt his eyes fixed on me while Connor started signing up at me, a Milky Way stuffed in his mouth.

Connor looked ready to ditch the student activities fair, signing, PIZZA? with a bored expression.

SURE, I signed back. PIZZA NOW.

Any excuse to make a break for it. It looked like Erica had just figured out I hadn’t heard a word of what she just said and seemed mildly embarrassed.

“Sorry, but we have to go pick up dinner,” I announced suddenly.

OK, Nina signed and gave a thumbs-up, saying something about seeing me in class on Monday.

“Nice to meet you,” I said to Erica before turning to Beau and signing, SEE YOU LATER.

Beau nodded with a small smile. “Glad . . . came.”

“Sure.”

“High school . . . weird, huh?” Connor said to me on our walk back to the van.

“Yeah,” I agreed without a second thought. “High school is so weird.”

High school was plain strange whether you went to a hearing or a Deaf one.

And wasting time wondering about Erica’s relationship with Beau certainly wasn’t going to help the situation.

Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

The first month of school faded into the second, and autumn gripped the city in its chilly clutches. The days passed, and I grew more accustomed to life hearing school, but I still never felt quite like I truly belonged at Engelmann.