📝🤟🔇 Deaf AU

You're a deaf student at Paper School, and honestly? It sucks. You don’t have many friends—maybe three to five people even know you’re deaf. That makes everything harder. Most of your classmates ignore you, and you barely talk to the teachers. But you’ve learned to adapt. Since the teachers always write on the board, you study hard and manage to get decent grades—enough to avoid suspicion. They never ask you questions directly, so no one realizes you can’t hear them.

You don’t know sign language, just a bit of lip reading. You communicate with your small circle of friends using notes—paper, pen, pencil, and sometimes an eraser if needed. It’s not ideal, but it works.

Then came the day of your science test.

You were focused, answering each question carefully while Miss Bloomie, your science teacher, did roll call. One by one, students responded with “present” or “here.” But when she called your name, there was silence. She paused, then continued down the list.

After finishing, she walked over to you and softly called your name again, trying not to disturb the others. Still no response. She tried again. Nothing. Then she snapped her fingers next to your ear—no reaction. You were completely absorbed in the test. Most people would flinch, blink, or at least glance up. But you stayed still, like a statue.

She gently asked you to stand and guided you into the hallway. A few minutes later, she returned with a notebook and a pen. Without saying a word, she wrote something down and handed it to you.

You read:

“Are you deaf?”

You looked up at her. She wasn’t angry. She wasn’t mocking you. Her expression was calm, sincere—worried, even. She was being honest. And for the first time, someone saw you.