Girl in the Shadows (Shadows 2)

would have shattered in my chest.

When I tried to sign to her, she turned her back

on me quickly so the others couldn't see and discover

she was deaf. She nearly pulled it off, too, but she

caught the eye of a boy about a year or so older than

she was and he sauntered over to her. He smiled at her

and began to talk about the music she was playing. I

could see her desperately trying to read his lips, but

her fear of speaking poorly and his slightly turned head made it impossible for her to go on with her fantasy much longer. I saw the confusion in his face and so did she. She turned to me quickly in

desperation and I had no idea what to do or say. Instead. I moved in quickly and took the

earphones off. stepping between her and the boy. "What are you listening to?" I asked her, and

put on the earphones. I grimaced. "You think this is

good?" I asked the boy.

He glanced at Echo and then at me, his face

filling with annoyance.

"I wasn't talking to you." he said. "I was talking

to her." He then sidestepped to ignore me and asked

Echo who she was and where she went to school. He

wanted to know why he hadn't seen her before. Was

she a new student?

I tried to prompt her, but she was too nervous to

pick up the signals and he immediately caught her

looking at me instead of at him.

"What the hell's going on?" he asked, his

suspicions building.

"Nothing. Bug off," I said. I signed to Echo that

we should leave quickly.

He caught my hand movements and his eyes

widened.

"What are you doing?" He looked at her and