I Am Deaf

Chapter 6

Len POV

Argh!

Did I really just say that?

But it was true. A pink blush tinted her cheeks, and her blue eyes sparkled. And her laugh was cute, like little bells.

"Umm, okay, Len." she blushed again.

"Gomen! Um, what shall we start with?" I asked hurriedly.

"Well...I guess math." She made an annoyed face and I chuckled.

"Or how 'bout..." I began, but then "Caramelldansen" interrupted me and I looked over to see Rin's metallic golden cell phone. She smiled unknowingly at me, and I remembered she was deaf.

Deaf.

What must it be like, never to hear words? Or music? Never to hear a wind chime or a ring-tone? Never to hear the teacher speak smartly at the board, or the light scraping of chalk? Or kids running back and forth, joyous shrieks coming from their mouths?

I shook my head. "Rin, your phone is ringing."

"Oh, but I can't answer it, Len." she said. "I can't hear the other person! My brother got me the phone. He always tries to call me, but I can never pick up. Because I can't hear the ring-tone. He just assumes I'm very careless." She looked troubled.

"Rin, how long have you been deaf?" I asked. She didn't respond. I thought she hadn't heard me, but then she opened her mouth.

"'Bout six and a half years or so?" she whispered. My mouth hung open. For SIX AND A HALF years she had been lip-reading and keeping this huge secret away from everyone?

"Rin?" I asked. She nodded.

"How many people know about your deafness?"

"Um, as of now, one?" she said.

I gaped at her. "Only I know?"

"Hai."

"But why?"

"Len, I... I don't..." her voice faltered, then grew. "Why? So I can get pushed around at school? So people can make fun of me for being handicapped? So Miku Hatsune and her stupid friends can imitate me?"

I stared fiercely at her. "No. So the people who care for you can help you."

Her flow of speech halted.

"Why don't you tell your brother, then?"

"You know I have a brother?"

"Yeah, he's in my grade. Or he WAS. He's sixteen, like me, right?"

"I don't tell him because he has enough on his plate. I don't want him to worry." She curled up. "I'm... I'm... afraid of dad's reaction."

That surprised me. Her dad seemed like a decent, if a bit standoffish, person.

"Hey, Rin!" A boy with blond hair appeared in the doorway. I poked Rin and she looked up. I pointed behind her.

"Hi, Rinto!" She hopped to her feet and glomped the boy. He laughed quietly, and then looked at me with warm but speculating blue eyes.

"Who's this, Rin?" She smiled at me.

"Rinto, this is Len, my tutor."

"Pleasure." He grinned, shaking my hand. "I hope you're treating her well."

"Rinto!" Rin complained. I chuckled.

"Don't worry." He grinned.

"Um... you were at school for the first week, then you left. Why?" I asked. They cast a surreptitious glance at each other, then at me.

"I dropped out to get a job." Rinto smiled sheepishly.

"Why? Doesn't your dad work?" I knew I was being nosy, very nosy.

"None of your business." Her dad appeared and growled at me roughly. He grabbed me by the arm and shook me. "Don't you know? Curiosity killed the cat." I was taken aback by his sudden hostility.

"Hey, Len-kun, you want something to eat?" Rinto asked me, despite his father shaking his head. The man sighed and went to the bathroom.

"Uh, thanks Rinto-kun, but I actually have to go. Babysitting." I lied.

"Just Rinto, please. And I hope you're not leaving on my account." He smiled, and he and Rin came to the door.

"Don't worry. I'll see you tomorrow, Rin!" I walked outside, and then heard the man yelling at the top of his lungs. I peeked in the window curiously. (I know, bad Len, but I was just curious!) I heard Rinto speak.

"Rin... Dad's calling you."

"Hai, I know. But I have homework."

"Just go. You want him to beat you?"

I frowned.

"It's a routine." Rin said bitterly, storming into the living room.

"Rin, is that boy gone?"

"Hai. I have homework, Dad."

"You think I care?" And then, her dad grabbed this lava lamp on the coffee table and swung it into the girl's skull.

OW.

I watched, horrified, as Rin dropped to the floor, the cracking sound etched in my head. Poor Rin!

Then, I remembered. I'd asked her why she had bandages around her head, and she had answered that it was Miku. Now I knew it wasn't.

Rin got to her feet, trembling. Rinto enfolded the silently sobbing girl into a hug. Now I knew why she didn't do her homework, and I also knew that both were terrified of their Dad.

I stood up and walked to my bike, forming ideas about how I would help them. I was going to have to confide in someone to help me. I couldn't help Rin alone, and Rinto was equally scared of their Dad.

Don't worry, Rin. I'll help you.