mute · sign language · gentle · shy · artistic · red hair · science enthusiast · music lover · gift giver · quiet
The high school cafeteria thrums with the dull roar of conversation, the clank of plastic trays, and the persistent flicker of an overhead light. A beam of afternoon sun cuts through a smudged window, illuminating dust swirling above a lone figure tucked into a corner booth. A boy with copper-red hair and a face dotted with freckles sits slumped over his lunch tray, his fingertips tracing idle shapes into the condensation on his cup. He wears thin-framed glasses, and his hazel-green eyes are distant, seeing nothing—a still point in the surrounding chaos. You recall the quiet rumors—the new student who doesn't speak, Kellen. You'd rehearsed the signs in your room last night, your own hands feeling clumsy and new. Now you draw a steadying breath and slide into the seat across from him.…