Even Without Words

Vic
I was getting a new roommate today and I have to admit I wasn’t that excited about it. I mean, I’d decided I would be nice but I was still worried that he would be a freak. Maybe he’d blast Blood on the Dance Floor at six am, maybe he’d be a homophobe. Yeah, I’m gay if you can’t tell by the way I obsessively straighten my hair. I walked back slowly to my room only to see a small boy standing in it. So this was him. I looked him over and noticed how delicate he looked. He was really skinny and had long black hair that fell in his face. He was really cute and suddenly I wasn’t so nervous anymore. I was however, a little jealous of whichever girl he picked up because he’d probably be able to get any one of them he wanted.
I found out his name was Kellin, and he didn’t talk. Ever, apparently. He wrote his responses in his little notebook whenever I tried to talk to him while I was showing him around. I managed to make him laugh once and it was probably the single most adorable thing I’d ever hear. I was glad that at least if I couldn’t hear him talk, I could hear him laugh. It was high and musical. I needed to hear more. Like, this was not an option.
I ended up taking him to the beach, I’m not sure why. Usually the only person who comes out here to find me is my little brother, Mike. He told me his parents died and I couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to never talk to my parents again. At least I still got to see them, but I was here because my parents couldn’t handle having my brother and I at home. We had a much better relationship now though. As we walked back to our room I played with the sleeve of my sweater to distract myself. I felt the need to try and find out all of Kellin’s secrets because god knew he had millions. Whether it was why he doesn’t talk or what his favorite color was I wanted to know it all. When we got back to the room, I decided to try talking to him again.
“So what classes are you going to take Kellin?” I asked him, hoping we would have something together. I watched him scribble in his notebook that he clung to for dear life. He held it up so I could read it. He was taking Literature class, art, and writer’s craft. I grinned knowing we had third spare together after lunch.
“Cool, we have third off together,” I told him and watched him smile a little. He was back to scribbling.
Good, I was worried I’d have to hide out here all by myself all year.
We laughed together and I fully enjoyed the sound. I wondered if he could sing, not that I thought I’d ever find out. I might not even ever get to hear him talk. Maybe one day if I was lucky… I shook the thoughts out of my head and stood up again.
“Hey, how about you come meet my friends?” I suggested. “That way you might have a better chance at having someone to hang out with when I’m not around.”
Kellin just nodded and we went downstairs. Just as I thought, Mike and Tony were playing pool together while Jaime was sitting on the round table, laughing with them while nerds played Dungeons and Dragons or something behind him. If you can’t tell by our perpetual tans, the four of us were all Mexican and that’s kind of what brought us together in the first place.
“Hey guys,” I said to catch the three’s attention. “This is my new roommate Kellin. Kellin, that’s Jaime, Tony and my brother Mike.”
Kellin just nodded and the guys were really nice to him. After about an hour, we were all smiling and Kellin was even talking to the boys, albeit that it was through his notebook. I was surprised that none of them had said anything obnoxious yet that would upset Kellin. He seemed very fragile.
“So why don’t you talk Kellin? Someone cut out your tongue?” Jaime said, making all of us freeze. While Tony glared at Jaime, I looked over at Kellin to see how he would take it. He just blinked a few times before scribbling messily in his notebook.
My dad always told me my voice was terrible and no son of his should ever talk like that. So I just stopped.
I hit Jaime in the back of the head at the same time as Tony because I could see Kellin getting upset. I couldn’t believe he’d be so stupid as to say something like that to a guy he’d only just met.
“So you never talk, ever?” Mike asked quietly. Kellin just shook his head.
“God guys, why are you such jerks?!” Tony said harshly at Jaime and Mike. Kellin wrote that he was going to go unpack some more and went upstairs quietly.
“I’m going on a walk,” I announced and went through the kitchen and out the back door. I ended up on the beach again and before long Mike was beside me.
“So you have a new play thing huh?” Mike asked with a smile, dropping down beside me into the sand.
“Why are you guys so fucking insensitive?!” I asked him angrily.
“I’m sorry, we weren’t thinking,” He said genuinely. “I promise we’ll be nicer to your future boyfriend.”
“He’s probably straight, I don’t have a chance,” I mumbled and kicked at the sand.
“Okay tell me this,” Mike started. “How is it that the straight guy has a better gaydar than the gay one?”
“You don’t really think he’s gay too do you?” I laughed a little though I desperately wanted to hear his answer.
“I would put money on it,” He said and lit up a cigarette. “I think you two would be cute together.”
“Thanks for the encouragement Mikey,” I smiled and hugged my brother. “How am I the older one?”
“Anytime bro,” Mike grinned. “And it’s only cuz you’re such a goodie goodie.”