🍱⏲️🆘❗ — 🧞‍♀️❌🕮🔊

Being late to class actually turned out to be positive. Minus being scolded for it, we got off with a warning because it was the first day. Sure, we had missed class introductions, but I was starting to suspect that the piece of paper Genie handed me earlier was meant for those. Genie looked as relaxed as if she had just received an hour-long massage session upon hearing the news so I guess she wasn't looking forward to being singled out in front of everyone just yet either. 

In another curious twist of fate, the two of us were even seated near each other! Genie was in the right corner of the room all the way in the back with my seat right in front of hers. If I couldn't introduce myself to the class to make new easy friends, at least I had someone cool close by!

As quickly as I had been swept up in a whirlwind of unusual occurrences, things became incredibly normal. We got through homeroom, struggled with proofs in geometry, and was fascinated by a tangent the world history teacher went on about when the government banned sliced bread in America. I kept hearing the tiny taps of Genie's fingers on her cell phone behind me, I assumed she was taking notes, though I had no idea how that was possible in emojis. Maybe I could ask her at...

The lunch bell rang and I felt a tapping on my shoulder. I turned my head to see a phone once more in front of my face: 🍴🍱🇲🇪❓

I had no idea what the flag meant, but the cutlery and bento box was enough. "I'd love to have lunch with you Genie. I packed my own, do you need to go to the cafeteria?"

She pulled out a seafoam green bento box from her backpack, presenting it to me with a smile. In hindsight, I'm not sure how she would have ordered at the cafeteria anyways without there potentially being a scene, something it seemed she wanted to avoid with any means necessary. Lunch was also relatively peaceful, with the two of us getting to know each other with simple questions.

👉 👍🐈❓

"Oh yeah I love cats! I have one at home, Toesy Poesy McBeanerton. Okay, you don't have to giggle at the name, she's one of those polydactyl cats with lots of toe beans."

🆒❗ 🇲🇾🐈3️🦵

Another flag, I'd have to try and remember what those looked like for later, but I had a general idea of what she meant anyway. I was about to apply when a girl at the desk across from us groaned loudly.

"Geez, why did Mr. Eliot assign a book from 1861 for literature class? Silas Marner? What even is that?"

"At least it's not just another Shakesphere play right?" a friend replied. "My brother is an upperclassman and warned me Mr. Eliot has a weird thing about public domain books and gets mad if people complain though, so don't bring it up."

"But I don't wanna read this out loud! I mean, look at it. 'even great ladies, clothed in silk and thread-lace, had their toy spinning-wheels of polished oak,' what does that even mean?"

I was no longer distracted by the accidentally eavesdropped conversation when I saw Genie's phone in my face once more: 🆘

"What's wrong Genie?"

👁️❌🕮🔊

It took a moment to get a good look at the emojis with how much her hands were trembling. I thankfully could put two and two together better than I understood those geometry proofs.

"Oh that's right, you haven't spoken at all since I've met you. I mean, would you just say emoji names if you did?"

Her face looked exactly like the emoji she showed me: 😠

"Right sorry, that's not the important thing right now. This isn't that bad though, I could just explain it to the teacher if they don't know right? I'm sure your parents must have filed something with the school for accommodations."

⛔❗ ㊙️🃏🔂 😳😳😳😳😳

I didn't entirely get the second half of things, but I understood that somehow she'd be embarrassed. "Okay, we can brainstorm some id-"

The lunch bell rang, everyone putting away their things and pulling out a book written over a hundred fifty years ago for their next glass. I heard the gentle trembling of the desk behind me and saw another tide about to come in on Genie's ocean eyes.

"Don't worry," I grabbed her hands in mine, "I'll come up with something"

She nodded slowly her face turning pink like a delicate rose garden coming into bloom. I suspect my own had gone a bit red as well. I had simply meant it to be a reassuring gesture, I must have looked like a goofy hero out of some cheesy fantasy manga swearing he'll complete a quest for his princess. I let go of her hands and turned around, digging into my bag for the book as a distraction.

"Hello my name is Mr. Eliot." Our teacher strode confidently into the room, a well-loved hard cover book held tightly in one hand. His face looked stern and was adorned with one of the most ridiculously enormous mustaches I had ever seen on a human being. "I see no reason to dally, let's get right into things. We will be reading, absorbing, and studying a literary classic: Silas Marner: The Weaver of Raveloe."

I missed most of what he was saying about the book's themes, discussions of industrialisation and religion drowned out by my own racing thoughts. How was I going to avoid Genie being called on to read in class?

"But what are we waiting for? We should be reading the book, not just have me standing here babbling on about it! You at the front of the room, start reading. I'll let you know when to switch readers and we'll go row by row."

I could have melted onto the floor with how quickly the tension left my body. We were at the very back of the room! With a few weak readers in the class, it was entirely possible that we could simply wait for the hour to end and not have to read a single word today. There would be plenty of time to formulate a proper plan for tomorrow. 

At first it looked like our strategy would succeed, the first few readers weren't the best at speaking out loud. When it finally reached out row, we only had ten minutes of class left and I was certain we had made it! Until...

"The livelong day he sat in his loom, his ear filled with its monotony, his eyes bent close down on the slow growth of sameness in the brownish web, his muscles moving with such even repetition that their pause seemed almost as much a constraint as the holding of his breath."

Whoever was sitting in the front of our row was reading it like it was something out of a fancy play, not making a single mistake in diction or poise. I wanted to admire the fact that he would have been excellent for recording audio books, but the next read was somehow even better!

"My goodness, such talent! You two wouldn't happen to be joining the theater club this year would you?"

"Yes Mr. Eliot." one of them replied. "In fact, all of us have been in a theater club since middle school! Except the last two students in our row."

I could just barely hear the trembling of the desk behind me, Genie was now just as nervous as I had become. They were all perfect readers, there's no way we would run out of time at this rate! What to do, what to do, what to do, what t-

"Alright, next reader please."

I sat there stunned, taking a quick glance at the clock. Three minutes remaining. It wasn't long, but I only had a few paragraphs to read. That's when an idea crashed into my skull like a speeding car into a ditch. It was going to be social suicide, but I didn't want to let Genie down, not after my promise.

"Theeeeee siiiiilllvvvvveeeeeeerrrrr booooooorrrrreeeeee nooooooo laaarrggeee prrrrooopooooortiioooooon iiiiiiin amoooouuuuuuunt tooooooo theeeeeeeee gooooooooold..."

Everyone in class had turned to look incredulously at me, none of them believing a high schooler struggled so badly and had to read this slow. My face was burned, but I'm not sure it was as red as Mr. Eliot's, though his was for a different reason.

"Beeecaaauuusssseeeee theeeee looooooong pieceessss offf lineeeeen whiiiich fooooormed hisss chiiieeeeeff woooooooork..."

Most of the class was giggling now, unable to hold back with just how rediculous I sounded. Still, I had already carved a single minute from the clock, this plan might just work!

"What is your name boy?"

My eyes flew open wide in panic and I looked up from my book. Mr. Eliot looked absolutely furious. "F-Forest sir."

"Forest, you will come see me in my office after school. You may enjoy being a class clown but that is not a reason to besmirch fine literature. Now, to make sure we actually finish this chapter on time, I shall read the rest."

The class was still supressing giggles as Mr. Eliot showed his own expert oration skills for a book he had likely read in classes countless times across his entire career. I was happy to have helped out Genie, but wasn't sure how I was going to tell my parents I had likely gotten into serious trouble on my first day of school. I tried to stare at my book to ignore all the incredulous glances in my direction, until the bell rang.

Despite the rest of the day once more being relatively calm, I couldn't get over just how mortified I was. This is how Genie would have felt though, right? I wouldn't have even been surprised if teachers or students didn't believe that she could only talk in emojis. I made it so someone else didn't have to go through this, I kept telling myself that this was the honorable thing to do all while behind me, I could hear thumbs rapidly flying to hit keys on a smart phone. What exactly was Genie doing back there?

When the final bell rang, Genie popped up from her seat so fast I could hardly get a glance at her before she ran out the door. I deflated on the spot. After all I did today, she ran away? No kind of support at all, not even a thank you? Or I guess a 🙏 👉?

I drug myself out of my seat, feet shuffling across the floor as the other students jostled around me, chatting to new friends while working their way to clean classrooms, get to clubs, or simply go home for the day. I remembered where the room for freshman teachers was from my tour of the school and made my way there. But when I arrived, I was met with a surprise. 

"Forest, your friend here was just enlightening me about today's earlier events."

Genie was sitting in the room, looking jittery and nervous. I felt warmth spreading through my chest. Maybe I didn't have to make princely sacrifices alone, maybe a princess had stepped in to try and save the day?

"If I am to understand what Genie wrote for me, though I admit my translation skills in this department may be lacking, you read slowly today so that she would not have to be embarrassed in front of the entire class due to her condition?"

I nodded, too afraid to speak out loud. I still wasn't sure if I was going to be in trouble or not and didn't want to somehow mess up my chances of a good outcome.

"I had intended to give you after school detention. Now however..."

Oh crap, was he going to get us both in trouble?

"I think I can do my duty as a teacher to instruct upon another valuable lesson. Forest, you sacrificed to help someone who you saw was in need. That shows you have virtuous values." Mr. Eliot then turned to Genie, peering over spectacles I hadn't been able to see previously as they were hidden by his rediculous mustache. "However, Genie is not a helpless damsel in need of rescuing either.

I tried not to be too distracted by just how adorable the shade of pink that was spreading across Genie's face was. "But wait, she can't talk."

"So? What of people like Stephen Hawking or Helen Keller, were they incapable of amazing things due to their lack of normal speach?"

Some inner instinct inside of me wanted to argue, but I knew he was right.

"To me, this is nothing different than someone using a an AAC device to communicate. There are screen readers as well that will read text out loud. In fact, I instructed Genie here on how to instal an application on her phone that will do just that for class."

Mr. Eliot didn't seem like the kind of person who knew his way around smart phones, but I wasn't about to doubt him. "So, what does this mean?"

Mr. Eliot looked up towards the ceiling, placing a hand thoughtfully on his chin. "I just reiterate again that stepping in to help a friend is quite admirable. But doing something for someone purely because you assume they are helpless is not. I was telling Genie how she will not be able to learn to adapt to her new circumstances without trial and error and you must allow that to happen."

"Mr Eliot, with all due respect, I can't just watch her struggle like that! Genie is kind, and smart, and..."

My face was heating up once again and Genie's cheeks were a crimson I hadn't known was possible to achieve on the human body.

"Which is why she can tackle these issues. I never said she had to do it alone either. I hate to admit it, but some students may be cruel and ostracize her for being different. It's a good thing she has already made a friend who's head is mostly in the right place."

He smiled, or at least I assumed when his mustache perked up he must have been smiling, it really was hard to see anything else under there.

"Now, consider both of yourselves warned. I will have no further disruptions in class, understood?"

"Yes sir."

✅🧐

He chuckled at Genie's response. "Genie, you have a fine sense of wit about you! Now, be sure you do come to me if anyone causes either of you trouble. While I dislike shenanigans taking place in class, I will not allow for bullying of any kind under my watch. You have made two allies here today Genie, be sure to call upon them as needed."

She nodded before suddenly leaping forward to wrap Mr. Eliot in a tight hug.

"My... My word..." Mr. Eliot seemed too startled to say much more after she let go of him, likely disarmed by the sweetness of her smile. "Well... Well yes then. You should go off to your respective clubs or home now. Good day to you."

                                                                                ***

"So, you didn't join a club yet either?"

👁️2️⃣😱

The two of us were walking home together. Just as our paths had been intertwined by fate before, we somehow took the same train to get home. 

"Ah I see, I guess it would be scary to try and join a club for you right now. Do you enjoy any sports?"

Genie initially showed me ❌ but then looked thoughtful before seemingly changing her mind: 🏊‍♀️

"You know, there's a swim team at the school. I bet we could get a waterproof pouch for your phone."

Her eyes lit up, bouncing around in excitement before her expression became so gloomy I thought a thunderstorm was about to come in.

❌ 👍🌊🍑🤕

"I get the like water, but what does the peach... Wait, butt? Really? You use peach to say but?" I couldn't help it, I was busting up laughing. Genie looked annoyed, but I could tell it was playfully so.

"Okay, so you like the water but I'm guessing whatever causes your bilingual aphasia resulted in injuries that make swimming like that tough."

She nodded, looking a bit nervous. I could practically read her mind by the look on her face.

"Don't worry, we don't have to talk about that if you don't want to. It's none of my business anyway. But maybe we can form our own club?"

Genie perked up instantly: 😵❗ 🤔❓

"I'm not sure for what yet, but I'll try to come up with some ideas!"

After we got on the train we simply sat together a while, enjoying what calm could be had on such a crowded vehicle after such a busy day.

"Well, my stop is coming up soon, I'll see you tomorrow Genie."

🏋️‍♀️❗

"I uh, is that someone lifting weights... OH! Wait, okay!"

She punched in some numbers, followed by: 🧞‍♀️📱#️⃣

"O-oh, you want to give me your number?"

She nodded enthusiastically. It made sense, this was the best way we could communicate across distances. Still, a girl was giving me her phone number! Right after my first day of high school! Was I somehow becoming a ladies man?

I put it into my phone and showed her, eliciting another of her signature smiles that quite possibly blinded several train goers with its brilliance.

"Awesome, I'll text you tonight Genie!"

I had no idea what kind of club would work for the both of us, but I knew I would come up with something. While Mr. Eliot was right about me not needing to baby Genie in any way, I was determined to come up with something special. So, what would be the best idea?