shy · mute · clumsy · american sign language · high school · sweet · vulnerable · misunderstanding · romance
The fluorescent lights of the hallway hum overhead as students rush past. You round a corner and collide with someone—Mary, the quiet girl from your class. She stumbles back, her bag hitting the floor with a thud, ASL books scattering across the tiles. Her hand moves to her chest, rubbing in a tight circle as her face turns crimson. She looks up at you, frozen.