In Space the Stars Don't Twinkle

In middle school I had a brief and lilting romance with a boy. Let's call him J. J was born partially deaf and his parents had refused all potentially correcting surgeries such as a cochlear implant or even just getting him a hearing aid. Eventually he became fully deaf by age seven. I met him when I was thirteen. And I was in love with him till I was fourteen. It's a story I've never told, one that I've never been ready to tell, until now.

The characters in this story all have different names, ages and locations than the original. In fact the original was more of an inspiration rather than a blue print for this work. I don't want you readers to get caught up in the details and would rather you lose yourself in the story.

The story of a boy named Oliver and a girl named Anise. Oliver is coming from a world with no sound, a silence so deep and thick it's like a second skin. Anise is coming from a world constantly split by pink slips and judge approved divorces. Together they'll make their own world, held together by duck tape, interlocked fingers, and smiley face stamps.

Dedication:

Dedicated to J, for teaching me how to listen.