Haley Locke |Locke and Key]

5.

Javi nodded at them. "What up?"

Haley lazily saluted him with two fingers as Kinsey verbally greeted him. "Hey"

Javi glanced up to the house "This house is crazy. I've been hearing stories about it since I was a kid"

Oh?

The moment Haley read house coming from the guy's lips - whose name she didn't understand - she paid attention. Since arriving, knowing this house was dad's childhood home, she wanted to know everything possible about it. Made her feel closer to her dad now that he was gone.

"Like what?" Tyler asked, seeing the interest on Haley as she stared intently at Javi, recognizing when she was reading someone's lips. He was also curious about the house.

"Okay" Javi told them. "So there's this one where this lady just wandered in and she went nuts. All right, she's like a vegetable now. Lives in an insane asylum"

Haley tugged on Tyler's jacket, furrowing her eyebrows. She finger spelled 'vegetable?' then made the sign for food.

Javi eyed the action curiously and surprised.

"Sick" Tyler explained as best as he could. "Not well from the head" Ah. Now Haley understood, nodding. He turned to Javi "Which sounds like total bullshit"

"Could be" Javi shrugged as he got inside the car, Tyler climbing to the passenger seat "Who knows? Also, you didn't mention you had a deaf sister. I also noticed you don't use sign language. How come she understands what you're talking about? Suppose she gets some hella headaches trying to understand you guys by reading your lips. That sucks"

Kinsey mentally agreed as she and Haley got inside the backseats.

They really needed to use sign language for her sake. Again.

~8~

Javi parked his car at a handicapped parking space at the school parking lot.

As soon as the car was turned off, both girls opened their doors and made their way out, Haley turning on her heel to wave goodbye toward Javi. She didn't want him to think she was rude.

At the entrance, Liza was already waiting for Haley.

A bright smile appeared on Haley's lips as she approached the girl.

"Hey" Liza signed to her "How are you this morning?"

Excited to use her hands, Haley began to sign "Great, had a ride from one of my brother Tyler's friends. Uh-"

Liza frowned slightly as Haley hesitated, looking around, finding what she was looking for and pointed. Liza followed her finger, seeing two guys. One she recognized, the other not much.

"Javi" Liza finger spelled the name for Haley. "That's his name"

Haley smiled in relief, both girls now starting to walk inside the school.

"Thanks" Haley signed.

Liza frowned slightly. "How come neither of your siblings spelled his name for you? Don't they know ASL?"

Haley hesitated as they reached their lockers. Luckily for her, when they were transferred this school, the dean worked his way to accommodate her somewhere close to someone who he was aware knew sign language. When Haley found out this, she was super grateful for being so thoughtful about her situation.

Liza looked at Haley expectantly as she waited for an answer. She was going to feel sad if neither of her family took the moment to learn Haley's language. She didn't want to judge but that was the least they could do for her to not feel excluded.