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Chapter Text

It had been two weeks, and Jeannie hated school. The teacher wasn't the best at looking toward Jeannie when she talked, and none of the kids were either, so she hadn't made any friends. Also, the aide assigned to help her didn't know ASL, and just lectured Jeannie to "pay attention."  Jeannie was paying attention, but if the teacher kept turning her head, she would miss instructions. This wasn't the first time she found herself on the naughty chair, and it all could have been avoided if Jeannie knew that Miss Spooner wanted her to put away her toys. 

Miss Spooner came over and kneeled down so she was eye level with Jeannie. Her hair was pulled back into a half-ponytail, and her brown eyes met Jeannie's brown eyes. "Jeanne, do you know why you are here?"  She spoke clearly, not wavering from Jeannie's face, and Jeannie wished that she would do that all the time. 

Jeannie nodded. "I wasn't listening. But I didn't hear you tell me to clean up!" She protested. 

Miss Spooner sighed. "Of course you didn't hear me, Jeannie, you're deaf. But you can't use that as an excuse to misbehave, it won't help you later in life." 

Jeannie felt her cheeks grow warm as hot tears spilled from her eyes. "But I didn't know." She tried again to explain. 

Miss Spooner's eyes grew kind, and she stroked her fingers through Jeannie's blonde hair. "How about, you take some time here to calm down, and then you can rejoin the class." She smiled softly at the young girl and walked away.

Jeannie sat on the chair for another five minutes, and half of her was fuming, while the other half was disappointed. She didn't feel like she fit in, no one understood her. She still hasn't made a single friend, and no one tried to talk to her. Either that, or they all tried to talk at once, and she couldn't follow along with everyone, and her eyes jumped from person to person, so she missed most of the conversations. Sometimes, she felt like they knew she was different, and it was the first time in her short life that she hadn't felt included.

Back at her little desk, she watched the lesson in front of her. They were going over the alphabet again. Jeannie knew the alphabet really well. She could even spell quite a few words, as long as she was signing them. Words like TV, car, bug, and bus, as well as the names of all her family members. Her Mom had made up a little dance, and she stomped her feet around every few letters in a recognizable (at least to her) rhythm. Mom said there was a song that some people sang, but this dance while she signed the letters was working well for Jeannie. Today, they were on the letter 'J', and she was excited because she got to spell her name on the board. She watched patiently as Jackie wrote hers, then John and Josh, before Miss Spooner pointed at Jeannie. "Jeannie, your turn! Come write on the board!" She pantomimed writing on the board, and Jeannie nodded, walking up and taking the blue marker. 

She wrote her name clumsily. Honestly, she was better at signing it, but she managed to make it look as nice as she could. She was kind of proud of it. She turned back to the class. "J-E-A-N-N-I-E." She signed each letter as she spoke them aloud. "Or at home, my family uses my name sign, which is this." She used her pinkie finger to make a 'J' in the air, and allowed her pinky to trail and swirl off, like vapor coming from a genie's bottle. 

All her classmates started talking at once, and Jeannie couldn't concentrate on what a single person was saying. Her face fell as she tried to go from one excited face to another. She looked at Miss Spooner for some clarification, who was looking back to Jeannie with some sort of anticipation. "What do you say?" 

Jeannie's eyebrows furrowed. "I don't know. I don't know what you want me to do."  

Miss Spooner looked confused, as if she didn't understand how Jeannie could have missed that. "Jeannie, they want you to spell their names on sign language." 

Jeannie broke out into a smile. "Sure!" She took her time, going from table to table, reading the nametags on each desk and fingerspelling each name slowly, allowing her classmates awkward hands to copy hers.  She found it interesting to be learning some of her classmates names for the first time in two weeks, and she just hoped that this meant things would get better at school from here on out. 

Jeannie was telling her mother all about fingerspelling names when Jane found the note in her bag. Jeannie, what's this about you not following instructions? She held up a note that she found in the bottom of Jeannie's bag.

Jeannie frowned. I would have, but Miss Spooner didn't look at me when she talked, so I didn't know.  She thought back to earlier, being stuck on the naughty chair, and how her teacher just didn't get it, and she wanted to cry again. 

Jeannie watched her mother read the note, and watched the anger come across her face.  She braced herself to get yelled at, even though she didn't think it was fair.  

Instead, Jane sighed and shook her head. Okay. Tomorrow is a big day. I'm going to go to school with you a little early, and you are going to talk to your teacher.

Jeannie's eyes widened. What am I supposed to say? 

Jane sat at the table and took Jeannie's hand in hers. Jeannie, you're deaf, not stupid, and not a troublemaker. But sometimes, hearing people won't understand the little things you need. Your teacher doesn't know she needs to look at you when she talks, and she won't be the first to make that mistake. And you need to learn how to tell people that they need to look directly at you when they talk. Jane smiled, and tucked a blonde curl behind Jeannie's ear. We'll practice tonight, and I will stand right next to you when you talk to her, that way, you have the practice, but you won't be alone. You'll never be alone.

Jeannie nodded slowly, a bit apprehensive. Okay.  But she felt her stomach fall as a fresh set of nerves hit her. 

The next morning, Jeannie and Jane dropped Pete off early at daycare and off to school early enough to give Jeannie time to talk. Once there, Jeannie burst from the car, somewhat scared, and somewhat hopeful. Plus, she just wanted to play with some of the people who she had met the day before. Jane redirected her pretty quickly, grabbing her shoulder and pulling her back. Don't run in the parking lot, please. She signed quickly.  Especially when you don't look both ways. You can't hear the cars coming, and I would like you to stay safe.

Jeannie rubbed her closed fist in a circular motion over her chest. Sorry.

When they got to the playground area, a girl came running up to her.  Jeannie recognized her from class, mostly because the girl had the type of hair that Jeannie really wanted to pull and see if it would spring back. She waved and smiled. "Hi, Jeannie!"

Jeannie waved back shyly. "Hi." She answered, clinging to her mother's skirt. 

The girl placed her hands behind her back, and looked at Jeannie with striking blue eyes that contrasted her darker complexion. "I wasn't here yesterday. Mandy told me you showed everyone how to sign their name. I was wondering if you could show me?"

Jeannie smiled and nodded. "Yeah! I can show you!" She searched her head for the girl's name, but any memory of her name was completely gone. "Umm, what's your name again?" She asked innocently. 

The girl laughed, her curls bouncing along her shoulders. She answered, but with her head tilted back, Jeannie missed it. She turned to her Mom, hoping Jane would help her. Ask her again, remember what we practiced last night.  Jane encouraged.

Jeannie sighed. "I didn't catch that. I can't hear you, I have to watch you talk, and I couldn't really see your mouth." Jeannie explained. 

"Sorry." The girl apologized. She spoke again, but Jeannie still couldn't quite make it out. She looked to her Mom, who just gestured toward the girl again.  Jeannie sighed, frustrated. She really didn't want to ask again. She looked away and prepared to ask again, when she got a better idea.  She saw a stick on the ground, and handed it to her. "Can you write it? That makes it easier."

The girl nodded, and wrote her name carefully in the dirt. Jeannie smiled. She held out her hand, thumb and pointer finger up. "L." She shifted her hand into a fist, her thumb sticking up. "A." She stuck her pointer and middle finger straight up. "U." She twisted her pointer and middle fingers together. "R." Finally, she repeated the second letter, her hand in a fist with the thumb sticking up. "A."

Laura repeated the signs slowly, and multiple times. She looked up suddenly. "How do I do your name?" She asked. 

Jeannie grinned. "Like this, it's easy!" She signed her name sign quickly, and watched Laura copy it. She repeated her new words to herself, and Jeannie made some minor corrections until she felt her mother's hand on her shoulder. 

Jane signed and spoke at the same time, so she wouldn't be rude to her daughter's new friend. "It's nice to meet you Laura! I'm Jeannie's mom.  I hope you'll excuse us, but we need to go to talk to your teacher, but I hope I'll see you soon!" 

Laura smiled and nodded, turning towards the swings. "Okay. Bye Jeannie!" She waved, and signed Jeannie's name sign behind her. Jeannie turned toward the school and  led her mother to her classroom. 

Miss Spooner was sitting at her desk, writing something when they walked in. She looked up and smiled at them. "Jeannie, Mrs. Lattimer. What's going on with you guys today?"

Jane started, once again signing and speaking for the benefit of her daughter and her daughter's teacher. "I wanted to talk to you about the note that I found in Jeannie's bag." 

Miss Spooner stood, and walked toward them. "Oh yes, the incident yesterday with the toys. Do you want to talk now? I can always set up a conference between the two of us of you'd like." 

Jane shook her head. "That won't be necessary. Actually, it's Jeannie who wants to talk to you." 

Miss Spooner looked confused, but looked at the little girl who was playing nervously with her hands. Jeannie took a breath. "You need to look at me when you talk to me.  When you look away, I miss your lips, and I don't know what you are saying. If you are telling me what to do, I need you to make sure I have your attention. If I don't, then I don't know what's going on. And it's not fair to punish me when I don't know what's going on."

Miss Spooner kneeled down to her level. "Jeannie, you need to pay attention." 

"No." Jane spoke, signing and speaking again. "You need to make sure she is paying attention. If she sort of glances in your direction, it doesn't mean she understood the instructions. I know you don't sign, and honestly, that's okay. The majority of the world doesn't sign. That's why we do speech therapy, so that she can fit into the hearing world, but we sign so she fits in the deaf community as well. Did you know that lip reading is actually extremely difficult?" Miss Spooner shook her head. Jane continued. "If you ever want to find out, try watching TV with the sound off. It was a pretty eye opening experience for me." Jane took a breath. "I'm sorry. I don't want you to think I'm angry, I know it can be hard to adjust. Just, put in the extra effort to make sure she understands the instructions. And make sure the aide knows that too. If she didn't catch something, it's not because she wasn't paying attention, it's because lip reading is tougher than it looks."

Miss Spooner nodded. "Okay. I can do that. And I'll try that TV thing tonight." She looked Jeannie in the eye. "So, should I talk to you like this?" She spoke slowly, dragging out the syllables of her words.

Jeannie shook her head. "Speak clearly, and at a normal speed, and I'll do better. If you slow it down, you look funny." She laughed. 

Miss Spooner laughed too, and held out her hand. "Deal." Jeannie shook it. "And I'm sorry about yesterday. I'll work on it, okay?"

Jeannie nodded. "Okay."  She looked up to her Mom, bringing her hand to her chin, and dropping it so her palm was facing up. Thank you. 

Chapter Text

Jeannie waited for her Mom to let go of her hand before running over to Laura, and wrapping the girl in a fierce hug. Laura! I missed you! Jeannie signed her friend's name sign, an "L" handshape swirled in a circle near Jeannie's shoulder. Her mother had made it up, which she wasn't really supposed to do, but it was certainly faster than fingerspelling the girl's whole name.

Laura smiled, her blue eyes sparkling. I missed you too, Jeannie! Who do you have for your teacher?

Jeannie looked for her mother, hoping she would tell her who her teacher was, she couldn't remember, but she saw her Mom far away from her, chasing Pete around the playground with her father. Jeannie turned back to her closest friend. I don't remember. Mom said it was a man.

Mr. McNulty? As soon as Laura signed it, Jeannie recognized it. She smiled and nodded, jumping up and down.We're in the same class! Laura signed was very excited. They spent all year together in kindergarten, but were separated for first grade, only seeing each other at lunch and recess. Maybe we'll get to sit next to each other! Laura enthused.

Jeannie didn't think so. Her Mom said she seated her classroom alphabetically, and Carey was pretty far away from Lattimer. That didn't stop her from jumping around. Maybe!

Jeannie noticed everyone heading to their lines on the asphalt. Laura ran ahead of her, backwards and signing.Come on, Jeannie! Last one there is a rotten egg! Laura turned after that and ran. Jeannie laughed and chased after her friend, hot on her heels.

She stood in line next to Laura, towards the back, and waved at her father and brother who were watching from across the playground. Her mother was busy wrangling this year's batch of fourth graders. Jeannie turned her attention the the brunette man who was standing at the front of her line. "Hello everyone!" He was saying, and honestly, that was about all she made out. There was something weird about the way he moved his lips that made understanding him slightly more difficult. That, coupled with the fact that he was looking around at everyone made lip reading pretty much impossible. He turned suddenly, and walked toward the school, the students in front of her all following. She turned toward Laura while they walked. Something is off. Jeannie signed to her.

You look, Laura stopped, and waved her hands around for a minute, looking for the sign. Not scared, but N-E-R-V-U-S. Jeannie could see her sounding out the word as she fingerspelled slowly.

Jeannie smiled and put her hands straight out in front of her, shaking them slightly. Yeah, I am nervous. I am having trouble understanding him.

Laura shot her a knowing look, and nodded. Yeah, he has she stopped again, fingerspelling awkwardly. A-K-S-E-N-T. You know, he sounds different when he talks.

Jeannie brought her index finger to her throat, touching it lightly, showing Laura the sign for 'accent.' That actually explained a lot. It explained why his mouth moved differently than any other teacher she'd had. I'll catch on eventually. She assured her friend. It would just take some practice.

Once in the room, she followed the other children into the coatroom to hang up her jacket and bag, and left to find her desk. They were arranged in groups of four, and had everyone's name spelled out on top. She and Laura weren't at the same group of four, but from where she sat, she could see Laura perfectly.

Mr. McNulty put paper in the middle of the desks, and Jeannie grabbed one, watching him walk around the classroom. He wasn't looking at her, so she couldn't see a word of what he was saying. She glanced over at Laura, who met her eye and saw her quizzical look. Draw a self portrait and write something about yourself. Laura signed quickly, explaining the directions. Jeannie nodded, and grabbed the crayons she found in her desk. As she colored, Mr. McNulty went and talked to someone at the door. Jeannie disappeared into her own little world, carefully drawing yellow hair on top of her head. "My name is Jeanne, but you can call me Jeannie. I am deaf, so I talk with my hands." She wrote carefully on the bottom of her paper. It wasn't until the boy next to her, Toby, tapped her on the shoulder, that she looked up. The whole class was looking at her, and her teacher was standing in front of her. He was talking at her, but the only words she could catch were "aide" and "she'll".

Jeannie waited for him to stop. She tapped the fingers of her right hand in the palm of her hand. "Can you say that again, please?" She requested.

He talked again, and Jeannie caught another word, "tomorrow", but she had given up, and instead looked slightly past him at Laura. Your aide is sick, Laura signed, tapping the middle fingers of her hands on both her stomach and head simultaneously, her other fingers outstretched, she'll come tomorrow. Laura finished. Jeannie nodded, and looked back up to her new teacher. "Okay." She answered. He nodded and walked away, and Jeannie went back to coloring her picture.

During reading time, she pulled out a book called the Paper Bag Princess. She liked that the princess in the end cared more about herself than being with someone who so obviously didn't love her. She looked up and around at her classmates, their heads bowed over their own books, and she wondered what they were reading about. Laura seemed to be doing the same thing, and their eyes met as they grinned at each other. Switch? Jeannie signed to her.

Laura shook her head. No. I don't want to disrupt anyone. She glanced at the person to her right, and pointed subtly. Tommy smells funny, I wish I was sitting over there next to you. Do you think Toby would like to switch seats?

Before Jeannie could answer, Mr. McNulty was over at Laura's desk. His back was to her, but from watching his body movements, she could tell he was angry. Laura was shaking her head. "No! I wasn't..." But he cut her off, pointing toward the door. Laura looked over at Jeannie with tears in her eyes. She placed an "a" handshape in her palm and lifted them both up. Help.

What's going on? Jeannie signed to her, but he was ushering Laura out the door before she could attempt to answer. He turned around to the rest of the class, who had witnessed the whole event. "Back to your books." He said with a wave of his hand.

Jeannie didn't see Laura again until lunch, and she looked like she had been crying. She avoided Jeannie, sitting at a full table so that Jeannie couldn't talk to her. Jeannie sat alone as well, ignoring the people around her, wondering what in the world she did to make Laura so mad at her.

She still couldn't figure it out, so she chased down her friend at recess, tapping her on the shoulder. When Laura refused to turn, Jeannie did something that she couldn't ignore. "What did I do?" She shouted, making Laura jump and turn around. Jeannie never shouted.

Laura fought back tears. I got sent to the principal's office. Mr. McNulty thought I was making fun of you.

Jeannie furrowed her brows and tilted her head. Why? He didn't see me signing back?

Laura shook her head. No he didn't. The principal is going to call my mom and tell her I was bad, and I'm in so much trouble, and I never want to sign again. That wasn't good. Laura had worked so hard to learn this for Jeannie, and if she stopped, Jeannie would feel truly alone.

Jeannie shook her head. No, that is it okay. Let's go. She grabbed Laura's hand and marched her back toward the school, despite her friend's protests.

Mr. McNulty was cleaning up the whiteboard when they walked in. He waved at them both, a small confused look on his face. "Jeannie, Laura, you should be at recess."

Jeannie shook her head. "No. I want to know what happened earlier, I want to know why Laura got in trouble."

He scratched the back of his head as he looked at the two girls. One looked scared and sad, the other determined. "Did I miss something?"

"Yes!" Laura spoke and signed at the same time, so Jeannie could follow the conversation. "You sent me away before hearing my side of the story. I would never make fun of Jeannie, she is my best friend."

He watched her hands the whole time. "You can really sign?"

Jeannie advocated for her friend. "Yeah, I taught her. She's not as good as me and my Mom, but she almost is."

Mr. McNulty sat and listened as they talked. "That's remarkable." He said, and Laura translated.

Jeannie nodded. "She's incredible. It started with names, but then we played school and she learned things like 'pick up your toys,' and 'write on the board,' or even 'line up for lunch.'" As she spoke each phrase, Laura articulated it with her hands. "At home, we would say things like 'I'm sick' or 'the baby is crying.' And she's still learning. Today she learned 'nervous'," Laura held her hands out in front of her and shook them a bit, "and 'accent'." Laura tapped her throat with her pointer finger.

Mr. McNulty pointed to his own throat, copying Laura's hands. "Accent. You were talking about my accent?"

Jeannie nodded. "Yes. It makes you move your mouth funny. I miss what you are saying more." She explained. "With practice, I'll get it, it just takes time." He looked a little upset as she spoke. "Laura is the one who let me know what you were saying about my aide. My aide doesn't sign, not like Laura, but she can fingerspell, and we make it work. But I hope Laura can help me sometimes without getting in trouble."

He nodded. "Of course." Laura signed what he said, even though Jeannie caught that one. "And I'm sorry." He continued, and Laura signed it before she realized he was talking to her. He copied her movements, his fist rubbing a circular motion over his chest.

Laura smiled. "It's okay." She assured. "But can you do me a favor?" She asked. He nodded, and leaned forward with anticipation. "Can you call my mom and explain? I don't want to get yelled at tonight."

He smiled. "Of course! I'll do that right now, and have a chat with the principal. You two should head back outside." He ushered them from the room, his hands on their shoulders, and the girls found themselves walking down the hallway toward the playground.

Laura tapped Jeannie on the shoulder. Thank you. She signed, her bright blue eyes sparkling, and a huge smile on her face.

Jeannie grinned. Her mom had taught her to stick up for herself, but sometimes she had to stick up for her friends. She nodded. Anytime. She smiled back at her friend. Race you to the playground? She offered, and repeated Laura's words from earlier. Last one there is a rotten egg! With that she turned, running in down the hallway towards the playground, Laura hot on her trail.