Chapter 1I was six when I spent five hours in a crazy storm looking for Wyatt's dog. Ended up with a 107-degree fever. Barely survived.
But after that? My world went totally silent.
Wyatt cried while holding me and promised he'd always have my back.
But the day I got my hearing back? First thing I heard was his friend talking shit:
"Dude, Wyatt's so done with Hailey. That deaf chick's been dragging him down forever."
"For real. If it wasn't for guilt, he would've ditched her YEARS ago. She's not even in the same universe as Sienna."
"Right, Wyatt?"
My heart literally stopped. I couldn't turn around.
Then I heard his voice—super casual, like he was talking about the weather.
"Yeah, what else? She's got nothing on Sienna."
He laughed, but it sounded kind of mean. "Honestly? I wish she'd died that night. Would've been easier for everyone. Especially me."
---
"Oh my god, you guys! What if Hailey has her hearing aid in? She'd literally die if she heard this."
Sienna was sitting on her desk with this sweet smile, looking at the guys.
Wyatt glanced over at me quick—checking my desk where my hearing aid was sitting, turned off. Once he saw it was off, he kept going:
"Whatever. Let her hear it. I'm ditching this engagement anyway. Better now than later."
"You guys don't know how much this sucks. Stuck with a deaf chick since we were kids? Embarrassing as hell."
"And she's always all over me. Only putting up with it 'cause of her parents—don't need that drama."
"Bro! Called it! No way you actually like some deaf girl. You've been playing nice this whole time!"
I couldn't listen anymore. Grabbed my stuff and basically ran to the bathroom, locked myself in a stall, and just cried.
I'd gone to Germany that weekend for surgery to fix my hearing. I'd been saving the news, waiting to tell Wyatt in person so I could see him get excited.
Now I knew—he'd been wishing I was dead this whole time.
But yesterday he texted me:
[when school starts im taking u to get ice cream at that place u like]
Every good memory I had now felt poisoned.
I cried till I wanted to throw up, bit my hand hard enough to bleed. Something inside me felt like it was ripping apart.
When it finally stopped hurting so bad, I wiped my face and walked out.
I wasn't gonna let them see me broken.
Coming out, I saw Wyatt leaning against the wall looking bored, obviously waiting for someone.
I froze and looked down fast, but he'd already seen me. His whole face lit up and he walked over, hands moving in sign language:
[Who made you sad? Tell me and I'll beat them up.]
I stared at that stupid, clueless smile and felt something inside crack even more.
"Nothing. Just failed a test."
Wyatt started signing something else but the bell rang and everyone rushed back to class. I walked around him straight to my seat.
This class we were picking new officers.
Since I can't hear right, my voice has never been as clear as everyone else's, so I practiced my speech at home like hundreds of times.
I wasn't letting Wyatt mess this up for me.
Everyone went up one by one. Finally it was time for study committee leader. I went up and gave my speech as loud and clear as I could. When I finished, everyone clapped.
I smiled a little and sat back down, feeling better.
What I didn't know was that Sienna decided to run for study committee leader this year too.
Chapter 2
When class ended, the board was covered in tally marks. Sienna and I were tied.
"Who hasn't voted?"
"Wyatt hasn't. He ran off to play basketball when he saw Principal Davis."
Everyone laughed.
Right then Wyatt jogged back in bouncing a basketball, totally sweaty. Sienna grabbed a tissue and wiped his forehead while they smiled at each other.
"Yo Wyatt—study committee leader vote. Sienna or the deaf girl. Who you picking?"
My heart was pounding so hard. Wyatt knew how bad I wanted to keep this position. To me, it meant I was normal, that I could do what everyone else does.
Maybe he'd vote for me?
"Sienna, duh." Wyatt shrugged and grinned at her. "Who else but Sienna should be study committee leader?"
"Stop! You're all sweaty—get away!" Sienna giggled and pushed him.
The guys in back were going crazy.
"Yooooo!"
"Kiss her! Kiss her!"
"Do it, bro!"
I heard myself laugh—this weird empty sound—and my eyes started burning.
I can't wear my hearing aid all the time. During all those hours I couldn't hear, they'd obviously become this couple that everyone knew about.
I guess to everyone else, I was just that sad childhood friend who couldn't take a hint.
Sienna suddenly appeared next to me with this fake sorry look, but her eyes were happy.
"I'm so sorry, Hailey. Don't be mad at Wyatt, okay? You were born with... you know. I'm probably just better for the job. Wyatt even said there's nothing I can't do."
I shook my head.
"He can vote for whoever. I'm not mad."
Wyatt heard that and froze, his face doing something weird.
After school, for the first time ever, I didn't wait for him. Just grabbed my backpack and left.
"Wait!"
Wyatt ran up behind me, out of breath and nervous.
"Look, I voted for Sienna because she's wanted this forever and I didn't want to take it from her. You get it, right?"
My hand squeezed my backpack strap so hard.
Part of me wanted to scream: What about me? Don't you know how hard I worked? Don't you know what this means to me?
I wore my hearing aid every day chasing down homework, tracking down fifty different people.
I carried huge stacks of workbooks upstairs by myself.
To me, this position meant I was the same as everyone else.
But he still picked her.
We walked without talking for a while. Then Wyatt suddenly dropped down on one knee.
Turns out my shoelace was untied and he was fixing it while rain started falling. I could smell his cologne mixed with rain.
Suddenly, I felt so sad and didn't even know why.
At my door, Wyatt smiled and said, "Don't forget the field trip tomorrow, okay?"
When he turned to go, I saw the hair tie on his wrist—bright pink, Sienna's favorite.
I gave him one once too, a black one. He never wore it, said he didn't want it to get messed up. But now he's wearing Sienna's like it matters.
Turns out he's not bad at taking care of stuff. He just doesn't care about stuff from me.
I smiled even though my eyes were wet.
Wyatt, this is the last time I'm crying over you.
I'm never falling for a coward like you again.
That night, I made up my mind—
Had Mom submit my transfer papers to the school.
And told Dad to call Wyatt's parents and break off the engagement.
Chapter 3
Wyatt told me not to forget the field trip, but he was late.
When he got on the bus, only two seats were left—one by me, one by Sienna.
He always stuck by me on trips, so I wasn't surprised when he started walking toward me.
But halfway, Sienna coughed.
Wyatt stopped and we looked at each other. Then he turned and sat with her.
I looked out the window at nothing.
My phone buzzed with texts from Wyatt:
[Sienna gets carsick bad. We'll hang when we get there, okay?]
[Brought those snacks u like. give them to u after]
[u got ur hearing aid?]
I muted him and closed my eyes.
When we got there, the teacher said pair up with someone same gender for hiking.
Before I could say anything, Sienna grabbed my arm and told the teacher we were partners.
I frowned at her. "What are you doing?"
She smiled all sweet. "Hailey, I just want us to be friends. That's not bad, right?"
She reached for my hand but I pulled away.
The second I did, Sienna threw herself backward and hit the ground, crying out.
Wyatt was there instantly, helping her up and glaring at me.
"I just wanted to be friends," Sienna cried with tears everywhere. "If you didn't want to partner up, fine—but why'd you push me?"
Everyone stared at me and my hands turned into fists. "I pulled away—I didn't push. I barely touched her."
Before I could say more, one of Wyatt's annoying friends got in my face.
"Stop lying! I literally just saw you push her!"
"People like you are so messed up. You're just jealous 'cause Sienna's hot and everyone actually likes her."
Everyone started whispering.
I was shaking I was so pissed. Before I could say anything, Wyatt grabbed my arm hard and dragged me in front of Sienna.
His voice was cold. "Say sorry. Now."
"What if I don't?" My voice shook but I looked up.
"I didn't do anything!"
"Everyone's watching! You're making Sienna look bad!" Wyatt hissed at me, his voice low and urgent.
What about me? Didn't I matter?
Tears burned my eyes. When I tried to argue again, Wyatt's face went dark and he kicked the back of my knee.
I crashed down on my knees in the dirt in front of Sienna.
Everyone went quiet and people pulled out phones, taking pictures like I was some zoo animal.
Wyatt's voice was loud and clear: "I'm not saying it again. Say sorry to Sienna now."
I knelt there, numb, and forced the words out.
"Sorry."
The second I said it, tears started falling and I couldn't stop them.
"Well... okay. I forgive you, I guess."
Sienna was trying not to smile as she reached down like she was helping me up.
I smacked her hand away and ran into the woods before anyone could see me lose it.
Hiding in the trees, I called home with my hands shaking.
"Mom... can we do the transfer faster? Please? I can't stay here..."
I lost track of time and didn't realize how late it got till the sky went dark and rain started pouring. I panicked and ran back as fast as I could.
"Hailey!"
Wyatt's voice cut through the storm, mad and scared. He was soaked even with a rain jacket, and Sienna was behind him just as wet.
