#the librarian knowing sign language and helping cahaya with it too

[vanillaxoshi]

I was curious on how Cahaya's school life could possibly be in age bracket and there's this one experience I remember very distinctly when I was in 6th grade. Hope you enjoy :D

btw "hi" is normal speech 'hi' is written and 'hi' is thoughts

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He'd thought 3rd grade would be better than 1st or 2nd grade. Unexpectedly, he'd be horribly wrong. Sure it could have something to do with him being the youngest there

but he thinks age shouldn't really matter on how you treat someone ... Maybe skipping grades isn't as cool as he thought it would be

No matter, he has long concluded that Fang to be the only friend he'll ever make in his life.

Which brings him to the library. It's not extravagant, far from the greatest libraries hes ever been in, the books aren't really great in terms of quality, and there are still some rowdy kids here and there (despite the very obvious rule of being silent in a library)

But it is still one of the more quiet to calming places of the school

Entering through the double doors, Cahaya greets the librarian with a simple wave, earning a smile and a nod from the middle-aged woman. That's the other thing, as he makes his way through the columns of bookshelves that are far too big than him

The librarian is really kind to him, she knows sign language; advance ones even! (he couldn't make out some of them) She even said she might start a mini class for students to learn sigh language, it'll basically be a secret club here in the library!

What's even more spectacular is that she didn't seem bothered by his exaggerated arms shaking making up and down motions and legs tapping excitedly—he later learns it's called "stimming"— truly the coolest person in this school. Beside himself and Fang, of course

The only problem is that she informed him that they needed at least 3 participants, something about legality and how it could paint a bad picture if it's just the both of them. Which is silly!

What's so wrong with a private class between a student and a teacher? what's an adult gonna do to a child? the worst he could think is punishing, he can't think what else an adult could do… lecture maybe?

That doesn't sound so bad

Thinking about it is just ruining his mood. His brows crest together as his eyes scans the rows and rows of books, completely ignoring the more obvious children books and through the more intellectually advance ones. His body moved with practiced ease as he slowly gathers the books, having to actually hop a few times to pick some of the higher located ones. Grabbing 2 at a time and stacking them on a nearby table

He looks at the stack when it reaches almost half his height. Huh. Maybe he overdid it a little bit He picked the book at the top and so it begins

He usually doesn't read this much considering the limited amount of time that they have, but Fang isn't here today, so he doesn't really have anything to pass the time

As time went by with each book slowly going to the opposite stack, his mind wanders away making the words all jumbled up

Huffing, he rereads the start of the paragraph. His mind went back to the topic of him skipping grades; how he was proud of himself at first... until they explained that Fang wouldn't be in the same class as him

He didn't mind at first, since they figured they could always just meet up during recess and lunch in the library. But sometimes that wasn't reliable..

Shaking his head, he tries to think of something else; like getting another person to join the super awesome secret club in the library. One problem. He doesn't really have anyone that's in the same grade as him.

Fang is a grade below him and Daun is WAY above him, and no one wants to talk to the silent kid who "can't talk". Which ouch. He never asked to be born this way, but once again he reminds himself that he had long accepted it. Plus, the people he actually cares about loves and respects him so he doesn't really mind.

Keeps him focus on something more important; like studying.

Even if it does get lonely some days... maybe he got too used to having Fang's presenc- nope nope. Ignore that thought, close it. Nope.

Just... focus on reading this chapter, he only has 7 more minutes if his watch was any indication. What was this even about? The fascinating variety of colors in the sk-

All the small hair in his arms straightened as a shiver goes through his whole body. He knows the feeling all too well.

'Someone's staring at me.' He looks around to confirm his hypothesis and true to his assumption, he found himself to be right at the sight of a gray and light blue... soft sky blue?—whatever color in the pastel blue spectrum— hijabi girl. 'Ah Maya' his mind helpfully remind him. Going through his catalog of classmates in quick sessions without hopefully looking suspicious

Maya was one of the more... eh ok classmate, simply because she doesn't really bother him, actually... except for that one time.

"Aww you're so small! it must be so cool being a 3rd grader despite being only 7 years old," 'no it isn't' "You're like our little brother in a way," she cheerfully added, "when's your birthday anyway?" 'None of your business?' "Aww c'mon don't act that way." she pouts, it quickly turns to a bunch of giggles. "I'm Maya" 'I know'... "and you are?" 'You already know.' "I'm making small talk over here give me a break," she chuckled. He sighed and quickly wrote 'Apologies if I seem rude, I thought yo-' he didn't even get to finish his writing "Why are you writing anyway? Isn't tiring? Do you just carry that board wherever you go?" ah. Here we go- "Why don't you just speak?" she went to touch him, "do you have a hearing prob-" *SLAP* . . A pencil could be heard as everyone stares at them, at HIM. his wide-eyed stare locked into the hand that he slapped away mere inches from his face. The owner of the hand looks like a fish out of water, staring at him in disbelief. The sound of footsteps made the two newly 3rd graders turn The teacher was coming. And he looked displeased. 'I've never upsetted a teacher before' his hand shake as he tries to comprehend the words that are flying a mile a minute through his head, he couldn't even bring himself to write an explanation, the words aren't forming for him. The blank board mocks him. "What is the meaning of this, you can't-" he saw in the corner of his peripheral view as Maya sporadically shake her hands in front of the teacher, "NO, nono it was a mist—" the words all blur together for him. His surroundings turning hazy. Everything is a jumbled up mess. The stares. The words. The shouts. It's too much IT'S TOO MUCH *THUNK* He slaps his board with the words "LEAVE ME ALONE" messily written on it and...

He couldn't really remember what happens next. After that disastrous first meeting, she has elected to avoid him

Even so, he frequently finds her gaze on him and often times it freaks him out; he starts shuffling his hands or drumming his fingers for example. But, it's been weeks and she hasn't done anything so he'll give her a pass

She seemed like the observent type anyway.

*KRINGGGG~*

His whole body jolted at the ringing, fully jumped out of his chair from the jumpscare. Quickly scrambling to collect his books and order them back again, noting that Maya already left when he was busy reminiscing.

He dashes out of the library to go to his classes. Theres still a few more hours before school ends.

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This got way too long T^T

nnoooooo my poor boi!!

Sensory overload? Meltdown?

And the scrambled mind trying to find words

Maya would prob be a friend, im sure she understood it was not intentional but then again the 'Leave me alone' might give her change of mind

That depends on her

Love the librarian, there better be a secret club for my boi!✊

And hes gotten so used to having fang around, must be overwhelming for him