Hear Me Now (7 page)

Chapter Seven

Cadence

Why didn’t I fight my mom on this? Why did I have to come here knowing that this is the kind of crap I was going to deal with?

All of these kids are what the world deems normal. There is no room for people with disabilities and definitely not any room for people like Eric, Isabelle and the others. We’re all just a bunch of deaf mute freaks that give these so called normal people hours of entertainment to get them through the day.

It doesn’t matter to them that we didn’t ask to be the way we are; that some of us were born this way and we’re only trying to get along and survive like everyone else. No, instead they’ve got to go out of their way to call attention to the things that set us apart from them instead of embracing the ways we’re the same. Not every person here is like that, I mean I’ve seen people that aren’t, but finding someone like that is rare.

Taking off from the group and stuck with only two options, both of which I’m not really in the mood for, I veer off in the direction of a third option. A place where no one will come looking for me. Not Dillon and his stupid friends and definitely not Eric and the others. The place I should have gone the first day.

Pushing my way through the turnstiles and smiling weakly at Ms. Reid as I pass by her, I head into the stacks of books that no student would ever be caught dead in. History texts might be needed sometimes, but it’s the one place no matter what library you find yourself in that’s almost always barren. No one goes out of their way to go there unless they’re doing what I am now and trying to find a place to hide out and escape.

I’ve been different my entire life. I’ve had people treat me like a leper for as long as I can remember and despite all of it, I managed to develop a pretty thick skin. It’s the reason I could do what Eric couldn’t that day in the hall. I could stand up to Dillon, his girlfriend and that other guy easily because there’s nothing they can say or do that I haven’t already experienced. I’m used to all of it and in coming to terms with the knowledge that the majority of the world are jerks and there’s not a whole lot you can do to change it, I’ve been able to push ahead and rise above it, doing whatever I have to in order to prevent it from happening to other people.

The deaf girl sticking up for the special needs kids. It’s a running joke for the idiots I just wasted twenty minutes of my life on for sure.

Despite my thick skin, I’m not immune to it. It wears on me the same way it would anyone that goes through it. It’s why I’m hiding out in the library right now, wanting nothing more than a few minutes of peace in order to calm myself. As hard as I try to not let their words, insults and even assumptions get to me, I’m only human and what just happened, it’s definitely eating at me.

It’s been a really long time since I wished I was normal. Wished that I wasn’t deaf. I came to terms with my disability years ago, but right now, I would give anything to go back out there, sit with those people that I can’t even stand and interact with them the way a normal person would. It’s half the reason my mom tried every single hearing aid on the market when I was little. She knew I would struggle with this and wanted to make it as easy on me as possible. Problem is, there isn’t a hearing aid strong enough. I’m doomed to spend my life, at least here, on the outside looking in.

I want to go back to my school now. I don’t even care that the place is flooded. I would gladly sit in a desk full of water, rain boots on my feet and a slicker over me while it poured from the ceiling if it meant that the way I feel right now could end. Maybe it’s time I talk to my mom and beg her to let me stay home for the next week and a half. It would be preferable to this. She would never agree, but at this point I’m willing to try anything.

This, the pity party I’m giving myself because I’m not like everyone else, I need to stop it. It’s not getting me anywhere. I haven’t done anything like this since I was six. I’m better than this and I need to remember that and not let what just happened change me. Remembering Isabelle’s words from the other day at lunch, I realize I do have an escape.

Reaching around to my backpack, sliding it down until I can unzip it far enough to grab the phone inside, I pull it out and scroll through the contacts looking for her name. Finding it, I bring up the message screen and begin typing. I’m not sure what I want to come from it but with the way things already are, I figure it can’t get much worse.

Her response is instant and seeing the words on the screen, I brighten for the first time since Mom caught Dillon laughing in class.

I’m outside. Kayden took off somewhere and Eric never showed. Could use the company.

There’s something about the happy emote on my screen that pushes me off the floor and out the door just as quickly as I came in. It’s inviting and right now with as alone as I feel, I can use all of that particular feeling as I can get. Making my way toward the front door of the school, more than ready to meet her, I don’t notice the shadows that come to a full stop until it’s too late and I’ve run into one of them. Hard.

Getting my bearings I look up and where I expect to find some random guy with as hard as I knocked into him, I come face to face with the girl I just walked away from not fifteen minutes before and just like then, she’s got a nasty looking snarl on her face and I know that whatever happens now is not going to be good.

“Just the mute bitch we were looking for. It’s time we had a little chat.”

Dillon

I knew it was only a matter of time before this happened, but I gotta say, I was hoping I had a bit more time. No doubt he knows about his car and is here to threaten me about it.

New Kayden won’t come near me physically, but that doesn’t mean he won’t find some equally damning way to get back at me. He stayed true to his word a few months ago and hasn’t laid a fing
er on me since the insanity at Homecoming. Now, anytime he’s looking to deal with me, he goes through Daniels or one of the teachers.

Looks like that’s about to change.

“Not in the mood for this.”

“I don’t really care what you’re in the mood for.”

“What the hell do you want? If this is about your car, go talk to Tim since he’s the one that did it.”

“No doubt because you told him to.”

“I didn’t tell him shit. I heard about it secondhand, not that I’m completely against it. You had it coming squealing like a pig the way you did.”

“You mean stopping you from torturing someone, don’t you?”

“Whatever. You got what you wanted. I’m being punished and I’m sure you’re pleased as shit about it. If you got a problem with what happened to your car, talk to Tim. I’ve got nothing left to say to you.”

“I can’t believe it.”

“What?”

I don’t really care what he’s getting at, wanting nothing more than for this conversation to end, but with the surprised expression on his face, I gotta ask. It’s a look I haven’t seen him wear in a long ass time.

“You’re actually backing down.”

“Guess I am. We done?”

“As much as I’d like to say yes because even the sight of you makes me sick, no; we’re not done.”

“Well can you get on with it? I’ve got like fifteen minutes before I gotta be upstairs and I’m not letting you screw it up.”

“How’s that working out for you?” He grins. “Gotta figure that’s a fate worse than death for you, being surrounded by all those people you call retarded.”

He doesn’t know the half of it, but I’m not about to say it to him. I meant what I said, I don’t want any part of this and I won’t let him be the reason I end up late to class. I’m sure he’d like nothing more than for me to get nailed again, especially after what Tim and Amy did to his car, but he’s not gonna get his way.

Attempting to make my way around him, his arm comes out and shoves me backward, letting me know that despite my desire to get away, I’m not going anywhere.

“That shit you pull
ed Monday with Eric and Cadence; it ends now.”

O
f course that’s what this macho bullshit is about. Eric went running with his tail between his legs and tattled on me. Stupid baby. It makes me wanna pick on him again just for how weak and childish he’s acting. Maybe I’d think about leaving him alone if he didn’t feel the need to tell on me every five minutes.

“Message received. Can I go now?”

“No, because I don’t believe you. Dillon; somewhere in there is the guy I met four years ago. The decent one that wasn’t always so fucking mad at the world. I get why you do the shit you do, but take it from someone who knows, it’s not worth it.”

“Thanks Dad.” I snap sarcastically.

“The girl that Amy took out, she’s not like Isabelle and Eric. She’s different and if you think I’m on you for the things you do to Eric, you haven’t seen anything yet.”

What does he mean by that? How is Cadence different from Eric and Isabelle? From what I’ve seen spending time with her, she’s more like Isabelle than he seems to think. As much as I hate this guy and want nothing more than to kick his teeth in, he’s obviously got information about the girl that I don’t and I wanna know it.

“Is this where you tell me to watch my back? That you’re not gonna fight me but find better ways to deal with me, because if it is, spare me. I’ve heard it and it’s as old and tired as this conversation.”

“I don’t know what I thought would happe
n doing this. It’s obvious you’re never gonna change, but Dillon, wake the fuck up.”

“That’s actually a good question. Why are you doing this? What the hell do you want?”

“I’ve known you a long time. I’ve seen you before you made the team and gained the popularity, turning into the jerk that’s standing here now. I’ve seen you care about people even though you didn’t want anyone to know you did. I heard some stuff today and it’s because I know the person you used to be that I’m here.”

“Don’t believe everything you hear.” I laugh awkwardly. I can’t let him know that the stuff he’s saying is getting to me. I hate any reminder of the way things used to be and the more he goes on about it, the more I want to turn around and go back the way I came. I’m not that person anymore and it’s doubtful I ever will be again. No matter how much he walks down memory lane.

“So you’re not talking to Cadence, laughing in class because of the notes the two of you pass back and forth? You didn’t just get up and walk away from your friends after they ran her off? All of that, it’s all bullshit right?”

Shit. He knows.

“You don’t know anything and tell your little spies to stay out of my business.”

I slam my way pa
st him, not wanting to hear anymore. I was sure no one knew what was going on in class with Cadence and now I know differently. It means that from now on, I need to stay as far away from her as I can get. I don’t need any more of this getting back to Kayden or even Amy and the others. I’ll never hear the end of it if it does.

“Dillon, you can run from what I’m saying all you want, but you’re never gonna run far enough, trust me!” He calls out and there’s something about what he’s saying that stops me in my tracks.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

As people start coming in from outside, he stalks over to where I’m standing and leans in as close as possible. His final words to me sending a chill down my spine.

“That girl you can’t stop thinking about; the one that makes you feel shit you don’t think you’re allowed to feel; Dillon, she can’t hear a word you say. Cadence—she’s deaf.”

Chapter Eight

Cadence

When my mom came home one night last fall, after
chaperoning a dance, she had tears in her eyes and I remember wondering who put them there and how hard it would be for me to find them and deal with them.

It’s the way things have always been with us. Even though she’s got my dad and he’s as supportive as they come considering everything
he’s got to deal with, I’m super protective of her. She must have seen something in my eyes that night because she quickly went on to tell me exactly why it was she was coming home in tears.

One of her students, Isabelle had gone to the dance and been named Homecoming Queen. I remember thinking that it was pretty cool that someone who had special needs was actually included until she told me what happened next.

This opened her up to telling me about Isabelle’s struggles at school. The way she was picked on, called names and thrown into the girls’ washroom, beaten and burned. Back then, all I could do was watch my mom fall apart over the whole thing, unable to do anything to take her pain away, but also thankful that kind of hatred didn’t take place at my school.

The girls stopping me in the hall, I should have remembered that conversation sooner because if I did, I would have known what was coming for me. Now I’m seeing firsthand what Isabelle had to deal with because it’s happening again.

They don’t say a word as they’re pulling me along, but even if they did, with my eyes focused forward, I wouldn’t have caught their lips moving and been able to tell what was coming for me. Slamming their way into the washroom, everything my mom told me comes back and I understand with crystal clear clarity what is about to happen now.

What they don’t realize about me is I’m stronger than I look. I’ve never been in a situation like this one before, but I have been in enough altercations, stopping other people from getting bullied that I know how to get myself out of it. As much as I hate violence of any kind, if they’re planning on trapping me in here like a caged animal, I’m going to do whatever I have to in order to get away.

The minute my back connects with the wall, I feel the sharp sting up my spine but I don’t allow it to stop me. The minute the blonde grabs for my arm, I pull it up and hit her right in the nose. Bending over, tending to my move, the other two come at me, and soon as the other girls hand comes out close enough, I grab it and not thinking, bend and bite it.

It has the desired effect as she shrieks and backs up and away, leaving me alone with the person that put all of this in motion. It’s just me and Amy now and until the two girls collect themselves enough to come back and help, I plan on doing whatever I can to get out of here.

At least I am until Amy grabs my hair and yanks it. Hard. Twisting me around by the hair so she ends up behind me, all the reaching around I try to do falls short as I can’t get a grip on her.  Whether I like it or not, until she lets go of my hair or changes her position, she’s in control and there’s nothing I can do.

Feeling her hands on my shoulders, I try to anticipate what’s coming next, but with too many different things she could do with the way she’s got me, I’m not ready for her as she uses all her strength to push me up against the wall, releasing my hair, spinning me around and laying her hand flat across my chest.

Even with my arms blocked, she hasn’t done anything to block my legs so I start kicking them out but before they can connect she dodges them. 

Damnit. I can see the other two starting to move toward me and I know that whatever they’re about to do now is going to be ten times worse because of what I did before they had a chance to start. They’re pissed. I have a minute tops to get myself out of this situation, or things are going to get a whole lot worse.

Amy’s lips start moving and despite not wanting to hear anything she’s got to say, I can’t ignore her as she’s speaking so hard that actual spit is flying from her mouth and hitting me in the face.

“I don’t know what it is about you stupid mute bitches, but I swear if I have to bring another one of you in here and burn the hell out of you so that you learn to leave Dillon alone, I will. If you haven’t already figured it out, he’s mine. Not yours. He will never be yours.”

She turns from me, toward the friend I bit and I’m thankful for the reprieve. With her looking away, it means her focus isn’t on me anymore which is gonna give me the chance to get out of this before the next part of their sick plan.

Bringing my arms up around, I dig my nails into her skin until the pressure against my chest starts to lift. Pulling myself off the wall the minute I’m able to move, I push her and as her body lands against the edge of the first bathroom stall, I watch as she flinches from the impact. Seeing my chance, I run for the door, grabbing onto the handle before I feel my hair again being pulled backwards, this time not as strong as before.

Doing the only thing I can, I twist myself around, tangling my hair even around the girl’s hand, but the minute I lock eyes with the blonde girl behind it, the one I don’t know the name of, I react purely on instinct. Even though I’m tangled up in her fingers, I reach my head forward and with as much force as I can, I slam my head into hers, not caring where it lands, as long as I can break her hold on me.

She stumbles backward and I see as she does, that she’s got a clump of my hair still tangled around her hand, the one she’s now using to cover her nose. Not waiting around to see just how badly I hurt her, I turn to the door, this time throwing it open as wide as possible and running out into the hall.

There’s no telling how long I’ve got before they come looking for me, so moving as fast as possible, finally feeling the sting at the back of my head, I race for the stairs. There’s only one place I need to be now and it’s not down here.

For the first time since I came here four days ago, I need my mom.

Dillon

Kayden is bullshitting me.

There’s no way Cadence is deaf. She told me as much earlier when I asked her if she was gonna talk to me. She just doesn’t like the sound of her own voice so she prefers writing.  I don’t know what Kayden’s game is, if he’s trying to get back at me for all the shit I pulled with him last fall or what, but there’s no way he’s gonna get me to fall for this.

“You’re full of shit.”

“Unlike you, I don’t go around spreading shit about people, hacking into their phones and exploiting their most private moments for personal amusement. I don’t want to tell you this, but with everything I’ve seen and heard, I think you deserve to know.”

“You think you’re so much better than me, but you’re half the r
eason things are this way now. You’re the one that put all this shit in motion. You can think you’re better all you want, but you’re still the same douchebag you were when I met you.”

Where I expect my words to get to him, he stares blankly at me, like everything I just said means nothing. Considering who he’s dating, I figure he would feel at least a little bit of remorse over the things he did when we first started hanging out, but he’s standing here looking at me the exact same way he was when I bumped into him to begin with.

“You’re not saying anything I don’t already know. I’ve got no problem admitting what a complete asshole I am. That’s where you and I are different. You can’t admit the truth.”

“I can admit I’m an asshole.”

“That’s not what I mean. Dude; put your shit with me aside and really listen to what I’m telling you. I’m willing to bet she hasn’t said a word to you even though she can speak. I’m also pretty sure you’ve had moments where you said something to her and she didn’t even acknowledge your existence.”

There’s nothing I wou
ld like more than to tell him that he’s full of shit and wrong about all of it, but I can’t. He’s not wrong. She hasn’t said a word to me and her reasons for that are because she hates the sound of her own voice. I’ve heard deaf people talk before, at least the ones on television and it adds up. I remember laughing at the way those people sounded. If she expected me to do the same to her than not talking makes perfect sense. Not acknowledging when I’ve said something to her though, that one hits even harder because she did that exact thing earlier, both in class and with my friends. I said something and she didn’t hear me.

She has answered me before though, so if she couldn’t hear me how did she do that?

“I’ve said stuff to her, K.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“You tell me the girl I’m chatting up in class is deaf and you’re concerned about what I’m calling you? Man; really?”

“I could be telling you that you have terminal cancer and I would still hate you calling me that. To answer your question, she can read lips. So if you’ve been looking at her when you’re talking to her, that’s how she can answer you.”

“Okay, so she’s deaf. What do you get out of telling me this?”

“This has nothing to do with you. I’m telling you for her. It’s only a matter of time before Amy gets wind of you and Cadence and you know what’s gonna happen. I won’t let another person get dragged in the bathroom and burned. I mean it Dillon, it stopped after Isabelle.”

Before I can respond, let him know that as far as the burning goes, we’re in agreement despite how we feel about each other, the very girl he mentioned comes running up beside him and her face is frantic. It’s a look I haven’t seen on her since the night of the dance.

If Isabelle looks like this then it can’t mean anything good.

“Kay, something’s wrong.” she whispers bending closer to him, obviously trying to keep it private.

I don’t know why I care if something’s wrong with her, but there’s something about the look on her face that I can’t seem to look away from. It’s a look that shouldn’t be there with as happy as she’s been since her and Kayden worked their shit out.

‘What is it?” I hear him ask her and I strain in order to hear whatever her next words are gonna be.

“I got a text from Caddy. She was suppo
sed to meet me out by the tree. She said she wanted to talk about something, but she never showed up and the bell’s about to go off.”

“How long has it been since she sent you the text?” I ask, completely ignoring the fact that she was speaking to Kayden. When she turns, leveling me with a look of disgust, I know what’s coming.

“What do you care?”

“Are you gonna tell me when she
texted you or not?” I snap, ignoring the question all together. It’s none of her business why I care. I just want information.

“It’s true.”

“What’s true?”

God, I know that I felt something different towards this girl near the end of the stupid shit I pulled, but right now she’s reminding me why I picked on her in the first place. I don’t have time for this, I need to know what happened to Cadence.

“What Eric told us earlier; it’s true.” She repeats again and I’m still completely fucking lost.

“Yeah its true baby, but I don’t think he’s ready to admit it yet.” Kayden says, which only makes me wanna hit him.

“Can someone please just tell me when she texted?”

“I waited for her for about twenty minutes and it was about five minutes before that. So twenty-five minutes. Do you think she could have just gone to her mom?”

Wait, what? Her mom?

“You never
got her last name, did you?” Kayden asks, covering his mouth with his hand to try and hide a laugh. The one that still breaks through and makes the urge to hit him even worse.

“It didn’t seem important. You wanna clue me in?”

“Taylor. Cadence Taylor. Dumbass.”

She’s Ms. Taylor’s daughter. Shit. This situation was already a shit ton to handle with finding out she can’t hear, but knowing she’s the daughter of the Special Ed teacher whose class I’m stuck
in, well shit. This is bad.

“Damnit.”

“That’s not the word I’d use, but yep. Damnit.”

Focusing back on the reason Isabelle’s standing with us and less on who Cadence really is, I start to think about the way everything went down before I walked away. Amy had been pissed at me and Cadence for what she thought was someth
ing going on between us, or at the very least Cadence having a thing for me. What are the odds she took it a step further when I left and went looking for her?

Very fucking likely.

“Uh, I don’t think she’s with her mom.” I say, hoping that I’m wrong with what I’m thinking even though my gut is telling me a different story.

“What do you mean? What do you know?” Isabelle turns so fast, moving her body until she’s standing directly in front of me, her eyes locked on mine and looking less than thrilled. “What did you do, Dillon?”

“I didn’t do shit, alright! Stop looking at me like that. I invited her to lunch earlier. I thought if the others got to know her, that what happened Monday would be the end of it.”

“Shit.” I hear Kayden whisper and it just makes the horrible feeling in my stomach that much worse. He spent the last four years hanging with all of us. He knows Amy better than anyone. Hell, he dated her before I did. No doubt he’s thinking the same thing I am.

“Isabelle, go up and check with Ms. T; see if she’s there. We’re gonna go find Amy and the others.”