Jessica POV

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We don’t interact much while we eat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’re both sitting in the booth with our backs to the wall and our legs stretched out in front of us on the seats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’re quietly watching the restaurant crowd, and I can’t stop wondering what it’s like for her, not being able to hear anything going on around us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m probably too blunt for my own good, but I have to ask her what’s on my mind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me: What’s being deaf like? Do you feel like you’re in on a secret that no one else knows about? Like you have a leg up on everyone because the fact that you can’t hear has magnified all your other senses and you’ve got superhuman powers and no one can tell just by looking at you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She almost spits out her drink while reading my text.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She laughs, and it occurs to me that her laugh is the only sound I’ve heard her make.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know that some people who can’t hear can still talk, but I haven’t heard her say a single word all night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not even to the waitress.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She either points to what she wants on the menu or writes it down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yuri: I can honestly say I’ve never thought about it like that before. I kind of like it that you think of it that way, though. To be honest, I don’t think about it at all. It’s normal to me. I have nothing to compare it to, because it’s all I’ve ever known.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me: I’m sorry. I’m being one of those people again, aren’t I? I guess me asking you to compare being deaf to not being deaf is like you asking me to compare being a girl to being a boy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yuri: Don’t apologize. I like that you’re interested enough to ask me about it. Most people are a little weirded out by it, so they don’t say anything at all. I’ve noticed it’s kind of hard to make friends, but that’s also a good thing. The few friends I do have are genuine, so I look at it as an easy way of weeding out all the shallow, ignorant s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me: Good to know I’m not a shallow, ignorant .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yuri: Wish I could say the same about your ex.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I sigh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yuri is right, but damn if it doesn’t sting to know I couldn’t see through Jun’s bull.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I put my phone down and eat the last of my cake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Thank you,” I say as I put my fork down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I honestly forgot for a while that today was my birthday until she offered to take me out for cake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She shrugs as if it isn’t a big deal, but it is a big deal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can’t believe after the day I’ve had that I’m actually in a semidecent mood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yuri can take credit for that, because if it weren’t for her, I don’t know where I’d be tonight or what kind of emotional state I’d be in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She takes a drink of her soda, then sits upright in the booth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She nods her head to the door, and I agree that I’m ready to go.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The buzz from the alcohol has worn off, and as we make our way out of the restaurant and back into the dark, I can feel myself beginning to succumb to the heartache again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I guess Yuri sees the look on my face, because she puts her arm around me and briefly squeezes my shoulders.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She drops her arm and pulls her phone out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yuri: For what it’s worth, he doesn’t deserve you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me: I know. But it still hurts that I ever thought he deserved me. And honestly, I’m more hurt about Dara than I am about what happened with Jun. I’m mostly just pissed at Jun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yuri: Yeah, I don’t even know the guy, and I’ve been pretty pissed at him. I can’t imagine how you must feel. I’m surprised you haven’t retaliated with some evil revenge plot yet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me: I’m not that clever. I wish I were, because I’d be all about revenge right now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yuri stops walking and turns to face me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She an eyebrow, and a slightly wicked grin appears.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It makes me laugh, because I can tell by her smile that she’s mapping out a plan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Okay,” I say, nodding my head without even knowing what she’s about to propose. “As long as it doesn’t land us in jail.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yuri: Do you know if he leaves his car unlocked?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Fish?” I ask, crinkling my nose in disgust. We’ve made a pit stop at a local grocery store next to the apartment complex, and she’s buying a huge, scaly whole fish. I’m assuming this has to be part of her elaborate revenge scheme, but she could just be hungry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yuri: We need duct tape.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I follow her to the hardware aisle, where she grabs a roll of heavy-duty duct tape.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fresh fish and duct tape.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m still not sure what she has planned, but I sort of like where this is headed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

________________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we’re back at the apartment, I point out Jun’s car.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I run up to the apartment to grab his spare car key out of my purse, where I still have it, while Yuri wraps the fish with duct tape.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I come back downstairs and hand her the key.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me: So what exactly are we about to do with this fish?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yuri: Watch and learn, Jessica.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We walk to Jun’s car, and Yuri unlocks the passenger door.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She has me tear off several pieces of duct tape while she reaches under the passenger seat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m watching closely—in case I need to seek revenge against anyone in the future—and she presses it against the underside of the seat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hand her several pieces of duct tape, trying to contain my laughter while she secures the raw fish with it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After she’s sure it won’t come loose, she slides out of the car and closes the door, looking around innocently.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My hand is over my mouth, stifling my laughter, and she’s as cool and composed as can be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We casually walk away from the car, and once we’re on the stairs to the apartment, we begin laughing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yuri: His car is going to smell like death in a matter of twenty-four hours. He’ll never find it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me: You’re kind of evil. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’ve done this before.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She laughs as we make our way back inside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We kick off our shoes at the door, and she tosses the duct tape onto the counter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I use the bathroom and make sure to unlock the door to her bedroom before I walk back out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the living room, all the lights are out, except for the lamp by the couch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I lie down and check my phone one last time before turning it on silent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yuri: Good night. Sorry your birthday .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me: Thanks to you, it was better than it could have been.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I place the phone under my pillow and cover up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I close my eyes, and my smile immediately fades when the silence takes over.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can feel the tears coming, so I cover my head with the blanket and brace myself for a long night of heartache.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The respite with Yuri was nice, but I have nothing to distract me now from the fact that I’m having the worst day of my life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can’t understand how Dara could do something like this to me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’ve been best friends for almost 3 years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I told her everything. I trusted her with everything. I told her things I would never dream of telling Jun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why would she risk our friendship for ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve never felt this hurt. I pull the blanket over my eyes and begin to sob.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy birthday to me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have the pillow pulled tightly over my head, but it doesn’t drown out the sound of gravel crunching beneath shoes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why is someone walking on a driveway so noisily?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And why can I even hear it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wait. Where am I?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did yesterday really happen?

 

 

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