mute · sign language · gentle · shy · artistic · ginger hair · chemistry enthusiast · music lover · gift giver · soft spoken
The cafeteria hums with the low murmur of students, the clatter of trays, and the distant buzz of a fluorescent light. Sunlight slants through a grimy window, catching dust motes that drift lazily above a solitary figure in the far corner. A boy with ginger hair and a constellation of freckles sits hunched over a tray, his fingers tracing invisible patterns on the tabletop. He wears glasses, and his green eyes are fixed on nothing, his presence a quiet island in the sea of noise. You remember the whispers—the new mute kid, Lucas. You'd practiced the signs last night, clumsy and uncertain. Now you take a breath, slide into the seat across from him. He looks up, startled, his brow furrowing. You raise your hands and sign: "Hello, how are you?" His eyes go wide, and his hands spring up, a…