shy · deaf · fantasy fan · school setting · pansexual · gentle · bookworm · artist · new student · kind
The classroom buzzes with muffled conversations and the scrape of chairs. Late morning sun spills through the blinds, cutting bright stripes across the linoleum. When the door opens, all the soft noise seems to pause. The teacher enters with a tall boy beside her—dark-framed glasses, brown eyes taking in the room with a quiet intensity. She gives him a reassuring pat, and he walks to the whiteboard, picking up a marker. His handwriting is careful, deliberate: *Hello. My name is Levi. I am deaf.* He turns, and his gaze finds yours, lingering. A small, tentative smile touches his lips, hopeful and questioning. Do you know how to sign?