Speechless

Alphonse sat there, staring dumbfounded at the sight before him. Everything around him seemed to be moving in slow motion. Luis was in conversation with the two girls next to him, and everyone else was just staring; Alphonse couldn’t make out what they were whispering about among each other. All he could see and hear was the scene before him, moving along without him. He couldn’t stop time, and time would not stop for him.

Raven was in trouble.

“Hey, everyone!” Will McNally yelled, receiving hysterical laughs from the jocks beside him. He nodded approvingly and continued, “Look what we found sulking in a corner!” He raised up Raven’s fragile arm and laughed, probably loving the attention he was getting from everyone around him.

But they’re not doing anything! Alphonse thought, panicking slowly.

“Wanna watch, while we teach her a lesson for eavesdropping?!” Francis Gerard said, grabbing Raven’s other arm.

No one said anything. They all just simply stared. Alphonse could tell, just by looking at their uneasy faces, that they didn’t exactly approve of this. They weren’t interested in watching some group of guys mess with this girl that hadn’t done anything to them. That probably didn’t even know them. They didn’t want to have anything to do with it; Alphonse was sure. However, that in no way meant they were going to stop it. Or even stop watching.

No one was going to get involved in this one.

“Now, tell me your name,” Will said, tilting Raven’s chin up to look at him. Alphonse had to grab onto his chair just not to walk over and make him wish he were never born.

Raven stared at Will, her chest moving slowly, which meant she was doing everything she could to calm down. She kept her expression unreadable and continued to stare at him, saying nothing. After all, she couldn’t even if she tried. God wouldn’t give a girl who couldn’t speak a voice just to tell people her name. Though Alphonse hoped he would.

“Your name,” Francis warned.

Raven glanced at him before turning back to Will and shaking her head. No.

“Someone,” Alphonse whispered to himself, “tell them. Tell them, she can’t… She can’t speak.” He was on the verge of doing something incredibly stupid and making a fool of himself in front of everyone there. He couldn’t do anything; Alphonse would not do anything. Fear held him back like a seatbelt.

“Okay, then,” Will began, smiling wickedly and nodding to the group beside him, “I guess we’re just going to have call you Ms. Zero.” The guys beside him stirred about and looked each other, probably hoping at least one of them got it. Will sighed, exasperated, and added, “Zero, for zero brains.”

They made slow nods of understanding and some of them managed to laugh.

That’s one of the stupidest things I’ve ever heard, Alphonse thought, scowling at their stupidity.

“Okay, then, let’s go teach Ms. Zero how we make sure no one crosses us,” Francis said, already on his way out the door. The rest followed them, which obviously included Raven.

There was a strange quietness inside the cafeteria, now that they had gone. Alphonse almost thought they were going to back to eating, or whatever they were doing, when one girl squealed rather loudly, “Let’s go!” and then everyone was making their way out the door.

What a bunch of morons! Alphonse thought, infuriated.

“Come on, Al,” Luis said, gesturing for him to follow. “Don’t you wanna see what happens?”

Alphonse turned his head to him slowly and managed the most menacing glare he could sum up. Luis winced away from his terrible gaze, managing a small “What?” while he continued to look down.

“You want to go over there and look, fine by me,” Alphonse told him, getting up and walking towards the door. “But I’m going to stop it,” he added, loud enough for Luis to hear, since he was now running down the hall.

Alphonse ran towards the first place he could think of, maybe hoping that they would be there. Maybe they would help him stop what was coming. Maybe they would make Alphonse step aside and make it easier for him, taking on the problem by themselves. Or maybe they wouldn’t even be there at all. Maybe they were watching within the crowd of nosy teenagers. The only thing Alphonse was sure of was that he had to try.

If I would have just stopped them before things got worse, this wouldn’t be happening! Alphonse thought to himself, within moment’s reach from the Music Club’s door.

As he opened the door, to his relief, he could make out a couple of voices from inside. Mostly male voices, but there was a female voice among them. Alphonse took a good look at their surprised faces, and just by looking, recognized May, sitting there, tuning her guitar, which was a bright red. He advanced toward them and took a moment to breath. The running had gone to him.

“What’s wrong, Alphonse?” May asked, glancing at her classmates. “What are you doing here? Music Club doesn’t start till tomorrow after school. Something wrong?”

Alphonse had finally regained his strength, and looked at May. “It’s Raven!” he gasped out.

“What about Raven?” May said slowly.

Alphonse didn’t blame her. Anything could seem like an emergency, seeing as Raven was mute and probably the frailest thing he had ever seen. But this was definitely an emergency. “Raven-she’s in trouble! A group of jocks have her surrounded, and they’re taking her outside. To teach her a lesson,” he added with a firm urgency in his voice.

May’s eyes widened, and Alphonse noticed the rest of them were tensed up and looked worried as well. May put down her guitar and took a step forward. “She’s my friend, and if any of those jackasses do anything to her, I swear-” She started, but Alphonse cut her off with two hands raised up in front of him. “Right,” she said. May looked back at the boys around her and told them, “It’s Raven. We have to help her.”

One of them stepped forward and nodded. He had dark, brown hair and glasses, which he pushed up with his index finger. “No one messes with our Raven,” he declared, and the rest looked determined and angry.

Alphonse never imagined he’d see a group of music lovers look so scary in his life. He suddenly remembered one day, when Alphonse was caught playing with his older brother Claude’s cello. He was about twelve and ignorant to the importance of music to his brother then. When Claude came forward looking awfully angry and very scary, he thought he was going to be gotten rid of. But he was not. Claude simply ignored him for two weeks whole and locked his bedroom door whenever he went out. His anger turned into protectiveness since then.

That was the kind of expression these people wore, Alphonse realized. They were protective of her, they admired her, probably. They loved her. And they were all willing friends not bothering to think twice as they ran out the door to save their friend.

I hate to admit it, but I’m actually jealous, Alphonse thought, smiling.

And then they were off.