Sound of Silence (closed)

[Mia Keystone]

Starbucks was a perfect example of American commercialism; too sweet, too expensive, too shit. But, unlike the other cafes further down town, it did not involve having to wade elbow high (well, higher for Mia) through hipsters and indie kids and it always took so long because Mia had to fight the urge to punch each and every one of them right in their pretentious noses. Or just blow up the sidekicks they were texting away so quickly on.

But no, she was going to go meet Ginny and Ginny’s deaf friend Annie, and Jonah was coming too because Ginny was plotting something. It was so obvious. And while Mia was really not sure what to expect, she did know that Ginny knew sign language, as no doubt Annie did. So she’d be the only one who didn’t know how to wiggle her fingers in a million different ways. Joy.

The odd looking pair had walked from the school, despite it being colder then a witch’s tit. Mia’s cat eared beanie was pulled down low over her forehead and her eyes peeked out from over the purple scarf she had wrapped around her neck and mouth. As such, speaking wasn’t really on the agenda. Mia wasn’t really sure what to say anymore anyway, because the... strangeness that had started to grow from the first time they’d seen each other since the new year was stronger. It was the blue whale in the room that occasionally flipped it’s tail.

But what do you do when your best friend, your dorky, gangly, awkward best friend, conjures up a fucking whale whenever you see him?

And what do you do when it matters if your best friend, the first person you’ve ever actually truly liked, likes you too. Despite the many, many reasons he has every day not to?

And what do you do when you’re about as in touch with your feelings as the robot some people claim you are, and all you want to do is put as much distance and alcohol and bodies between you and the great fucking whale as possible?

You act like nothing at all is wrong, that’s what.

Mia tugged the scarf down so he could see her mouth as the finally stepped into the heated mall, and the warmer again coffee shop. ”What do you want?” she asked with her usual crooked smile, fishing around in one pocket for her wallet. ”Ginny said she was like... two minutes away. But I need a triple shot Irish cream latte right now, or I’ll collapse in a heap and short circuit every mobile in this place.”

[Jonah King]

Jonah hadn’t really known how to talk to Mia since the dance, when she had given him a look which had made him want to run and hide in a corner. She hadn’t looked irritated, exactly, but there had definitely been something wrong – and Jonah knew Mia too well to think he would get any straight answer out of her if he asked her directly what it had been about. So he did what he was by now very good at doing: he just didn’t say anything. If Mia wanted to bring it up, she would do so in her own good time. And if it continued to bug him, he would ask her about it in such a way that she wouldn’t realise she was being asked.

So they were walking together into town in silence, Jonah wrapped up in his warmest coat, scarf and beanie hat (and the last time he had worn that hat, he had been conducting illegal activity. What a thought.), hands deep in his pockets as he trudged next to her. Turning his head, he could see only her eyes as she looked out from the many layers she had covered herself with – Mia bore a distinct resemblance to a small, multicoloured snowman. The sight was enough to prompt one of his amused grins.

He didn’t really know why he had been invited along to this coffee morning, but he wasn’t complaining. Ginny had been good company at the dance, and he was looking forward to meeting Annie. If nothing else, he had been assured by Ginny that the other girl would come bearing cake, and that was definitely a plus.

For a moment, he wondered if Mia had covered up her mouth with her scarf so that she didn’t have to talk to him. But why the hell would she do that? Mia had been acting very oddly recently, and Jonah wasn’t suite sure what to make of her, these days. It was as if his best friend was changing. Or maybe she wasn’t changing at all – maybe it was just his perception of her which was changing.

But when they got to the mall she was Mia again, and he chuckled silently. ’I’m not sure Starbucks sell liquor,’ he told her mildly, reaching for his own wallet. ‘Unless you’ve brought your own?’ He wouldn’t put it past her, after all. This was Mia, who had mystical powers when it came to obtaining things she wasn’t allowed to have. If someone had told Jonah that her meta ability was to find anything she wanted as soon as she wanted it, he would probably have believed them.

Height was an advantage in crowded places, and Jonah was soon at the counter with Mia in tow. He felt a familiar pang in his stomach, the jolt he always felt when he attempted to speak to someone he had never spoken to before. He could feel his face going red. ‘Tea, please,’ he said, the words awkward in his mouth. The barista serving him widened her eyes, ever so slightly. Jonah looked down at Mia, so that she could place her order.

[Annie Holmes]

Spring was in the air. One wouldn't be able to tell it in the cold northern reaches of Vermont, but it was in the air. Sort of.

Sort of was all Annie needed to pull certain things out of her coset and trunk. Her outfit for the day had been pieced together with more care than usual. She wanted to spread the Spring around. Or the feeling of it at least, and one of the best ways to do that was to draw the eye to color. Or so one of her dads said. Designer that he was she tended to listen.

Having left her coat in the car, the exposed flesh was marked with goose bumps, but they'd go away once the warmth of the mall cancled out the brief exposure to cold. Her car after all, wasn't that far from the main entrance.

Keeping pace easily with Ginny, Annie's hands were full of her usual box o'cupcakes inspired by the dresses her friend and her friend's friend had worn to the dance at hammel. They weren't vintage, exactly, but she'd wanted an excuse to do something Pac-Man and lept at the opportunity with both feet.

Having been informed that Mia, friend number 1, didn't know sign langauge, Annie had in fact brought her iPad with her, but it had been acting funny since her last visit and chat with Chase. Could iPads get viruses? It was an Apple product, so she didn't think so, but one never really knew and she hadn't exactly looked for an app to find out. Either way, she knew Ginny could translate for her if she didn't go too fast. Ginny being a much faster learner than her step-father.

Pinning the cupcake box between her torso and one hand she singed at her friend the question clear on her face. Which way?" It didn't occur to her that Starbucks might not appreciate her brigning in her own cupcakes when they had theirs to sell, just where it was located in the mall.

[Ginny Campbell]

Ginny didn't know how Annie could walk around without her coat, particularly not when she'd only just recently recovered from her bout with Mono. At least the trip through the parking lot was short and the mass of bodies in the mall corridors made inside seem considerably warmer than it really was. That also meant a great deal more jostling than she appreciated; she didn't mind elbowing people out of her way, but Annie had precious, precious cargo and it would be a shame if some careless passerby ruined all her hard work before Mia and Jonah had a chance to admire.

She tugged at the tie on the sweater coat she'd worn, loosening it slightly. Outside she'd almost regretted not wearing something heavier, but in the mall it was slightly too warm. But just slightly; she was sure if she attempted to emulate Annie and doff the sweater she would freeze to death.

At the query she paused, scooting off to one side so as not to be in the way of the crowds as she tried to remember exactly where the Starbucks lay relative to the anchor store they'd entered by. They'd come in by the Macy's so that meant....to the left. She pointed and then waved Annie on to follow her, weaving her way between people as best she could while trying to keep Annie and her cupcakes safe.

Apparently the denizens of Vermont weren't as enamored as her fellow New Yorkers, as the Starbucks was far less crowded than she'd expected. Even if it had been more full, however, it would have been easy to spot Jonah; she spotted him the moment she and Annie stepped through the door, and her eyes glinted with anticipation. She was so grilling him over Mia.

That's them! She signed to her vibrant friend before shouting, "Mia! Hey!!" and waving frantically to the more somber girl as they trailed over to the counter. "Mia, Jonah, meet Annie. Annie, this is Mia and Jonah." She tried to sign as she spoke so that everyone could understand her, although that turned out to be more difficult than she'd anticipated, and she fumbled a bit as she signed. Well, she hoped she got the message across, anyway.

"Annie brought cupcakes."

[Mia Keystone]

”Lucky for us, it’s a flavor syrup you dolt,” Mia rolled her eyes and grabbed the back of his jacket as he worked his way in line. Jonah had learnt, very quickly, that Mia was an excellent observer. And she, unlike him, was not willing to ignore the little things. Looking up over the counter, her eyebrows hit the ceiling.

”Hey,” her eyes glanced at the girl’s name tag, ”Hey Ruth, nice name by the way, is there a problem with my friend’s order?” Ignoring the obvious discomfort Jonah always showed when she started picking fights, Mia cocked her head to one side. He couldn’t see her mouth, he didn’t have to know just what she was saying. ”Is there a problem with tea?” Was she being overly aggressive? Maybe. But for some reason, this had struck her as unforgivable, and her face was hot with anger. ”How about, Ruth, you go make him a tea, and make me a triple shot latte, and keep your fucking attitude to your ignorant self.”

Her chest was heaving, and she slapped the money onto the bench and stormed to the pickup counter, dragging Jonah with her. ”Shouldn’t take long,” she muttered, chewing on her lip rings and her fingers tapping on the plastic surface as she tried to calm down.

Then a familiar blonde head popped into view and Mia sighed and raised her hand in reply to her wave. ”What up, Gee n Tee,” she said with a slight grin, then raised her eyebrows in greeting to Annie. Then, the hand movement started. Mia couldn’t help rolling her eyes and scowling slightly, her hands firmly in her pockets. Still, this girl was Ginny’s friend and so Mia was going to try. Could Annie read lips? She hadn’t asked.

”Can she,” Mia paused and made sure she was facing Annie. ”Can you read lips?” she asked, speaking a little more slowly then she was used to. Jonah had learnt to keep up with her, but even people hearing her talk had trouble keeping up with her sometimes. ”But, ah,” she pointed at the container Annie was holding then gave her a double thumbs up, ”cupcakes are win. Good job?”

Again, she glanced at Ginny and shrugged. ”Yeah, I need to learn ASL,” she muttered to her friend, then grabbed her coffee and Jonah’s tea as Ruth, ever so gracefully, set them down.

[Jonah King]

Jonah was no fool. He couldn’t see Mia’s mouth, but he could guess from Ruth’s expression that whatever his friend was saying, it wasn’t exactly on the flattering side. Besides that, it was like standing next to a little ball of anger. Jonah turned to look down at her with one eyebrow mildly raised, his expression very plainly telling her : ’Don’t swear at the staff, Mia.’ He had no doubt that she would know what he was trying to say to her. More than once, she had told him to ‘shut up’, when he hadn’t even opened his mouth. He was just far too good at saying things without using words.

He followed her to the pickup counter, and gave her a gentle nudge with his elbow: ‘Calm down.’ The smile he offered down to her was full of amusement – there was, after all, no better way to snap Mia out of a bad mood than by making her smile at something, anything. He should have known that she would overreact to someone treating him differently. On his own, Jonah would never have called the girl up on it. Things like that used to make him angry, but nowadays he took a much more laid-back view. If they had a problem, then it was their problem. And if they spoke to him, then they would hopefully see that poor speech didn’t mean a poor mind.

Still, as high-minded as all of that was, it didn’t half make him feel like hiding when someone reacted badly to him. Sometimes it was difficult to practise what he wanted to preach.

Mia’s head turned as she heard Ginny’s voice, and Jonah followed her gaze. He offered Ginny a bright, warm smile, and gave the same treatment to Annie as they were introduced. As Ginny spelled out his name, he showed Annie his ‘name sign’: a ‘J’ drawn over his heart. When Mia started to ask her question to Ginny instead of Annie, he reached up to scratch the back of his neck: something he only ever did when he was uncomfortable. But Mia remembered her manners (manners he had spent a good few years training her in), and he gave her a smile when she recovered herself.

/Nice to meet you,/ he signed to Annie, allowing himself a moment of pure ASL before they all began signing-while-speaking. He knew from Mia that Annie didn’t speak – the least he could do was remind her that she had two people who would be capable translators. /Ginny’s said a lot about you./ His hands moved with a speed and grace that not many of his hearing friends ever saw him exhibit, and for a moment he felt far more confident than he usually did when meeting new people. It was good to meet someone without feeling self-conscious about the way you sounded.

Any more would have been rude to Mia (and to Ginny, whose signing wasn’t as fast), so Jonah instead glanced around the café, signing as he spoke: ‘Shall we find somewhere to sit?’

[Annie Holmes]

Mia, the girl she was to be introduced to, was just as short as she was. Shorter with Annie firmly planted in her heels. Tapping the corner of her own mouth, where the other girls lip rings cirlced the lower lip, Annie smiled. They looked great on her and with the question dirrected at her she bobbed her head in an affirmative and with a little careful maneuvering she managed to get the iPad out and ontop of the cupcake box.

The device was slow in starting up, but it didn't give her any trouble in oppening the type-pad app.

Nice to meet you!

Who said one-handed typing was reserved for teenage boys and lonely old men. So far so good with the iPad. Hopefully it wouldn't give her any more trouble. That would not only be embaressing, but likely make things more difficult. Even with the guy--Jonah, she reminded herself--and Ginny, it was sometimes easier for people to feel like she was interacting with them if she had a way to do so that made them comfortable.

With only the one hand to sign her response to Jonah, Annie opted to type instead.

Sitting would be great. I brought cupcakes to go with the coffee. Once I set this down I'll need to order but be right back. Casting her own gaze about she spotted a low table with four purple armchairs around it that would be perfect and was just being vacated. Bless the gods of Starbucks.

Pointing the redhead raised her eyebrows in a question and leaned in that direction in case there was any doubt.

[Ginny Campbell]

Ginny glanced in the direction Annie was pointing and nodded once. The armchairs looked nice and cozy. Since Mia and Jonah had not only already placed their order but also acquired the drinks, she assumed they would hold the seats for them. "Yeah, I'm gonna order then I'll be over to join, sound good?" She directed her question to Mia, as the dark-haired hacker tended to take charge no matter who she was with. Annie she knew largely deferred to others, and though she'd only met Jonah at the dance the fact that he was friends with Mia already said to her that he probably went along with whatever she decided.

"You'll leave a few cupcakes for us, right?" She grinned, moving to the side to allow a gentlemen in business attire pass their huddled group. She supposed if Mia and Jonah did eat all the cupcakes it wouldn't be the end of the world; not only did Starbucks sell their own pastries but she knew that Annie would gladly provide her with more once she had access to baking facilities. And if she was in desperate need of cupcakes she would definitely invite her friend over to the Campbell-Kilbourne residence and hold her hostage until she'd baked enough cupcakes to satisfy the cravings.

The last of the line ordered and stepped away, waiting for their drinks, and Ginny moved into position, wallet out, looking with determination at the menu hanging over the cash register. She waved her friends toward the chairs, "Hurry! Before someone snatches them up!" She laughed as she waited for Ruth to finish filling the orders for the other patrons.