See Me, Hear Me

Chapter 1

A hand clasps the shoulder of a boy who is asleep at his desk. He turns his head to the other side to become more comfortable. The young girl purses her lips, giving him a shake. "Seriously," she mutters to herself, aware that the boy at the desk cannot hear her.

She jostles him more vigorously, and this time, one of his dark brown eyes opens slightly to look up at her. She gestures with her thumb and pinky extended, the other fingers folded into her palm.

"Are you awake?" she inquires, and Juno watches her lips move as he nods slowly. He sits up, wiping away a trace of drool at the corner of his mouth. He yawns silently, continuing to rub the remnants of sleep from his eyes.

Juno pulls the sleeves of his sweatshirt down, covering his dark melanin. He then looks up at her again, seeing her mouth the words to him, "It's the end of the lunch period; we have to go." She follows with the corresponding hand signs. Juno forms a fist and then an 'O' sign to let her know, "Okay."

Alicia smiles at him as she watches him stand up. The chair squeaks loudly behind him, causing Alicia to cover her ears. Juno looks at her with concern. She waves her hand and says, "It's nothing," reassuring him as she grabs his hand. Juno lets her lead as she pulls him out of the library.

They stroll through the bustling corridors, with Juno glancing around. Not a single day passes without him pondering what the doors sound like when they close. Do people's shoes truly squeak as they tread?

What does Alicia's voice sound like? If he were able to communicate, how would his voice sound to others? What would his voice sound like to himself? These questions were like an unsolvable mystery to him, known only to those unlike him."

His large, doughy eyes attempt to decipher everyone's lips, yearning to be part of their conversations. A simple look, wave, or smile would suffice - a gesture to acknowledge his presence beyond his twin sister Alicia and his parents. Such recognition would certainly bring him joy. 

However, the moments when Juno was noticed by others were not the best for him. Those were times when people would scrutinize him with disdain, whisper hurtful words, and then disregard his presence."

Moments when he would read their lips, and truly recognize that he was in fact, "a waste of life."  Their words never cease to affect him.

Alicia halts before their fifth-period teacher. The twin pairs fix their gaze on the door ahead, while Juno turns to Alicia as she gestures and silently mouths, "You ready?" Alicia's question is merely a precaution to ensure Juno's emotions are stable and to prevent a potential panic attack.

She understood her brother profoundly, and his fidgeting in response to that particular question revealed his unpreparedness.

Although her twin brother was unable to speak, his nonverbal cues were more expressive than words could ever be.

Meanwhile, Juno, who was fidgeting with his hands, stopped to take a deep breath, attempting to soothe himself. He practiced the breathing techniques his mother had taught him for such situations.

He gazes at his sister's dark-skinned face and nods. Alicia continues to stare, her hand resting on the doorknob. She pauses, searching for any sign that Juno might be incapable of proceeding, but finding none, she opens the door and they enter together.

Juno's muscles tense at the sight of so many teenagers pausing their activities to look in their direction.

The boy with curly hair feels his nerves clashing against one another as he steps forward into the classroom.

He glanced at Alicia, who offered him a comforting smile. "It's okay, Juno. You're fine," she mouthed. Juno nodded, feeling a slight relaxation in his body. Turning back to the class, he noticed they were no longer staring at him; they had resumed their conversations with one another.