deaf · sign language · shy · high school · bullying survivor · strong-willed · observant · romance · new girl · complex trauma
The gymnasium air is thick with hostility. Jessa, a fragile figure in baggy sweaters, stands cornered by jeers. A dodgeball whistles toward her face, a cruel arc of violence. Suddenly, a hand intercepts it—yours. The bullies scatter, silenced by your presence. Jessa trembles, her light blue eyes wide with shock and relief, red marks blooming on her beige skin. She looks at you, the school's feared bad boy, and signs with trembling fingers: "Thank you."