Sign for Me

Hi! This is a story that is finished and will be posted once a week until it's complete here. If you are wondering about Momma's Boy... there is a reason I must tell you this story first before continuing posting it.

***********************************************

My name is Nemo and I'm 18. I have a secret that only my parents know. Well, actually two secrets. I'm going progressively deaf which is something I didn't share with the few friends I have left. And I'm gay. Now that was a secret I barely could admit to myself let alone to my parents.

The ear specialists were trying to figure out what was causing my deafness, they were starting to believe it was genetic. I just didn't care rat's ass. For me it didn't matter. I was about to be 100% deaf in a matter of months; that was the prognosis. That was the inevitable.

I had refused to use hearing aid, I just nodded and pretended to hear what people were saying. I couldn't hear most of what was not said directly to my face. Seeing the mouth movements helped, but the kids I knew were not the most expressive ones and they mumbled rather than talked clearly about things.

So I struggled to get by. Among other teenagers it hasn't been easy. They pick on everyone different. This had caused me to become more and more hermit like. I rather steered myself away from people than face the ridicule and jokes.

My parents were trying to convince me to move into a special school for the deaf, I refused, of course. I knew it was fighting against the windmills, but I really, really wanted to try to live like I did before this nightmare started.

I have always felt out of place, knowing I'm gay and all. But this deaf thingy was almost the end of my world.

Like, I had limited possibilities of finding a boyfriend as I was, even before I started to lose my hearing. And now, who would want to go out with a freak?

I was finishing packing my luggage for the camp. Diary, check. Paint books, check. Harry Potters, check. I had everything I needed for a month.

Going to this stupid camp was a compromise I made with my parents. It was a camp for deaf teens and since the psychologists had believed I needed other deaf kids' company to help me accept the reality this camp was a heaven sent help in my parents' eyes. Idiot shrinks. I had accepted it, I embraced it even. Hear me laugh. What else could I do?

At least going to this summer camp would give me my last year in regular high school. I can just graduate and move on. None of my class mates will ever have to know about my problem. Teachers will know and I will work harder to get the grades without normal participation in the classes.

The summer camp was 300 miles away from home; I'd be away from my folks for the first time. Freedom! I was afraid it was going to turn out to be a prison instead of fun. Well, it was just for a month. Unless I figured out a way to cut it short.

"Nemo, it is time to go!" Mum yelled downstairs. Her yelling I could still hear. Because it was L-O-U-D.

I grabbed my belongings and dragged them downstairs with loud thuds on my way.

"What on earth are you carrying son?" Dad threw his big arm around me. I would miss him. "Ready to go?"

I nodded and put on one of my fake smiles. No need to upset them more, they have worried enough about me already. I hated to see my mum crying when she thought I didn't notice. What a disappointment of a son I had become.

"Come here baby, I love you. Have much fun and remember to MSN every night!" Mum had been forced to learn to use the computer and new messaging techniques since the phones didn't work out so well for me anymore.

"I will mum. I love you too." I hugged her back tightly. I so wished I could have just stayed here and do my thing, like I've been doing the past 9 months.

She took my face between her hands and gave me a long kiss on my cheek. Yeah, we hugged and kissed a lot in my family.

Suddenly she turned around and looked troubled. Then she turned her face back to me before she started to speak again. "Nemo, I'm sorry but I must go and see Angelina, she's crying..."

"Go ahead mum. Give her a kiss from me."

Angelina, my little sister is only 9 months old; she was born around the same time when I started to have trouble hearing. At the time I had been alone in my panic, yet I had been able to hide it for quite a long time thanks to all the fuss around the house. However my mum was perceptive. She finally noticed and accused me of acting out for having a new sibling.

As if! I love my baby sis.

I had to tell her the truth, finally. I honestly thought it would be some sort of flu or something. Boy was I wrong.

Now they have been trying to find out what is causing my deafness for Angelina's sake too, to help us be prepared if it happens again with her. I pray it won't be the case; I would not want this curse to my worst enemy, let alone my little sunshine.

"I will love. Text as soon as you get there!" She spoke slowly and formed her words deliberately clearly to ease my hearing. I hated that she had to do that, she was a speed talker in heart. Yet I also loved her more for doing it for me, trying to adjust into the changed situation.

"Yes. I will." A final hug, then she rushed out of sight. I love you mum. I wished I had enough balls to say it out loud. Maybe I would've if I wasn't obligated to go to the camp of hell. Honestly that was how I viewed my future month. Teenage hell. Deaf teenage hell. Fun, fun.

"Are you ready son?" Dad held the main door open and we step out to the front yard of our house.

The sun almost blinded me as we went outside. I needed to pull out my sunglasses. As I was trying to locate them from my backpack I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to look at my dad.

"Oh look, it's Miles. Did he come to say good bye to you?"

Shit. Miles.

I'd been avoiding him for a good while now. He definitely did not know where I was going! Actually he didn't know much about me anymore. I had even used babysitting Angelina as an excuse for hanging out at the mall or going to movies.

What was he doing here?

"Hi Nemo, I came to ask you to go fishing with me now that the school is out... You know it's been ages since we hung out together..." Miles walked next to us and then leaned to his bright yellow bicycle - Miles with his carrot red hair and his cute little dimple on his left cheek; his smile shy and tentative.

He carried a fishing rod with him and he looked just too good to be true. And he was right in front of me.

"Uh, well, Miles... I can't. I'm going away for a month..."

"Oh? I see. Where are you going?"

I looked at my dad pleadingly. "Well, huh, I'm going to this band camp." I saw my dad raising his eye brows. "Yes, I started to play the guitar again..." I pushed my chest out a bit trying not to show I was lying with my body language. It wasn't actually a complete lie since I did and I could play it at the camp too. But there probably wouldn't be any musical instruments around at the camp for the deaf kids.

"I see. Sounds fun. I guess we'll see when you get back then?" He paused for a sec and looked down to his sandals. "I miss you, you know? We never hang out together anymore."

Shit. Don't do this to me. Not now!

"Yeah, I guess we'll see around when I return." I swallowed hard and deliberately ignored his last sentence. "Have a good fishing, Miles." I forced a smile to him – with teeth - just like I did to my parents. I was becoming a pro at this!

"Ok, byes then." He looked utterly forlorn.

"Bye Miles." I walked past him to our car dragging the ridiculously heavy backpack.

After plugging the seat belt in I tried not to look back at him. That felt just too much.

Dad touched me to my knee to get my attention. I looked at him. "Did you hear what Miles said after you turned your back at him?"

"Huh? No... What did he say?"

"He said he doesn't want to wait a month to see you again. Now why would he say something like that? Did you boys fight or something?"

Yeah, why indeed...? I blinked at my dad. "I dunno. No fighting. He's just acting like a big baby."

The window was safer than my dad's eyes to look at now.

And there was Miles, still at our gate. Waving at me as our car pulled out to the street.

I didn't wave back. It's like my hand refused a simple task given by the brain.

Miles got smaller and smaller until we took a turn in the crossroads and I couldn't see him anymore. Then I breathed out. I hadn't even noticed I had been holding my breath. I could've fainted!

***

The camp was placed in the middle of nowhere with large forests, river and endless hiking surroundings. I had read the info from the leaflets. Yup. This was going to be a paradise for an indoor kid like me.

I looked at the back lights of our BMW as dad drove away.

"Nemo, let's get you settled." Sandra, the older camp instructor, signed the words with her fingers as she spoke. Oh great. I was so not looking forward on the daily sign classes. Sandra looked like she had lived outdoors all her life; a tall blonde woman in her mid-twenties with long legs and wide smile. And really, really suntanned skin. She seemed nice enough, though; she'd be wrinkled like an old lady before she hit thirty.

I nodded.

"You will be placed at the two bed cabin in the far end of the area, I'm sorry that there weren't rooms closer to the other buildings. You will have to walk good 400 yards to get to the maintenance buildings." Her fingers formed the words slowly to ease my following.

Didn't she realize I couldn't sign at all? And I still could hear her!

I nodded, again. Gee, like I cared where I bunk.

Sandra smiled at me widely, I smiled back at her. Just because I was taught to be polite.

She touched my shoulder as we got closer to the cabin I'd be sleeping. "You will only have one roommate. His name is Dion, he is not deaf and he is one of the younger camp instructors. He is really fun to hang around, I'm sure you'll get along perfectly. Dion is twenty; he has deaf parents and a deaf little brother. He is volunteering for the second year now."

Who was named Dion? Crazy parents, I smiled to myself. Poor guy. Then I mentally kicked myself. His parents were deaf too. And my folks did give me a ridiculous name too.

I'm sure we'd get along too if he left me alone with my books and paintings.

Again I just nodded.

"You are not a talkative boy are you?" Sandra looked at me with a worried face.

I almost nodded again. "Well I'm just taking this all in now. I will chat with you later more."

"Ok hon. Do you want me to help you unpack?"

Gods no! "I'm ok, thanks."

"Ok then, welcome to our camp Nemo, we are happy to have you here with us!"

I nodded and blushed.

***

Inside the cabin I wondered which of the two beds was going to be mine; the one by the window or the one at the back. Oh well... I couldn't see any difference where I sleep. I didn't see any belongings of this Dion boy yet, so I guess I could choose my bunk freely.

After pondering it for a while, I chose the bed by the window just because it looked nicer and brought in more light. I lay myself down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. This was going to be my home for the next month so I'd better get used to it and fast.

The door opening startled me from my thoughts.

I averted my eyes from the ceiling I had been staring for an hour, I think; just in time to see a drop dead gorgeous guy with something like a faded blue hair stepping in. I think my mouth must have formed a perfect o with amazement.

Oh well... My brain short circuited for like an eternity as I took in the new boy.

I was balancing between fast rising arousal and shock. I did not expect my sleeping companion be of this type. Was I really expected to bunk alone with him, in this smallish cabin? To drool after him for the next month? And not get caught? Maybe I was mistaken, maybe this wasn't Dion...

Then when I thought it couldn't get any worse the boy-god flashed me a million dollar smile, making butterflies flutter in my stomach. Yeah, corny, huh?

"Hello, you must be Nemo?" Fingers moved in tandem with his voice.

Enough with the signing already... "Hi, yeah and you're Dion?"

"The one and only," he offered an even wider smile if possible. "You all settled in?"

"Yeah, do you mind if I take this bed?"

"I was planning on sleeping in it, but I guess the other one will do too, unless you want me to sleep next to you?"

Oh-my-god. Nobody EVER flirted with me. Not even girls.

"Joking, heheh."

"You know you don't have to sign for me?"

"Yes, I read that you can still hear some, but it is the camp policy to sign everything so that the completely deaf kids are not left out of anything and everyone gets practice on it."

"There are no other kids in here."

"True, but don't you plan to learn to sign too? I read that you can't yet. You might as well get started before things get trickier. Right?"

"Uhm." Did he have to be such a perky person? I would have expected a boy called Dion to be some dark and emo type of guy, not this bright and shiny, flashy even, boy. His hands moved fast as he spoke, his fingers were covered with paint. An artistic type, I winced.

Dion's eyes sparkled in green, his lashes thick and black. I was not dreaming, but this boy might just be the most fascinating person I had yet met in my life. His hands moved constantly as he spoke to me. At some point I had stopped to try and follow his speech and just enjoyed watching him in constant movement instead.

"Did I speak too fast?" He looked worried all of the sudden. "I tend to do that when I get excited."

"Uh-huh, maybe a bit too fast..." I admitted. Gosh he was hot. I felt the urge to adjust myself; instead I lifted my knees up to hide my growing interest. "What time is the evening meal?" Maybe I should just sit up.

"At eight, which means right about now." Dion stepped in closer and held his hand out.

Was I supposed to take the hand? But mine was sweaty... I quickly brushed my hands on my khakis.

"Get your lazy ass ready! Or we'll sleep with our tummies empty."

Damn, I was completely mesmerized by his rapidly moving eloquent fingers. Sigh. A double sigh. What else could he do with those long fingers...

Finally, after not wanting to look like even a bigger dork, I took his hand he had again showed in front of me smiling a bit sideways. His hand felt cool and dry, the opposite from mine.

Heck, he was the opposite of me every possible way! I was as average as a teen boy could be. With mouse colored hair, narrow grey eyes, a smallish body, less than perfect without any physical activity.

Yeah, I was a real object of desire to all gay boys out there.

Dion on the other hand was someone that could be found in any teen girl's day dreams. He was mid-length and lean with the long swan like neck just asking to be kissed. The most interesting feature in him was his hair though, his little imperfection.

Dion's hair was – really light blue, as in must have been shock blue at some point, pointing in every direction which was in total conflict with his otherwise 'normal' appearance. He was wearing cut jeans and a plain loose black band t-shirt. I didn't recognize the band. Nothing unusual about that.

Grinning – and still holding my hand - Dion gently pulled me up to my legs then stepped to the door again. "Hop, hop now."

As he turned his back on me I could finally adjust myself. He looked as good from back too; I let my eyes wander down to his butt. I could have sworn he was wiggling it a bit for me. Hmm...

As he walked ahead of me down the bath, he turned to look at me every few steps with a smile. As if he was making sure I followed him.

I could feel the butterflies in my tummy go mad now!

This camp might turn out to be interesting after all.



To be continued...