Echoes & Ink: Raven by Emily Rose

Chapter Twenty-Seven

FALCON

Ihate math. Especially geometry. When the hell am I ever going to use this shit? I mean, it’s stupid. My aide has been signing to me, and explaining what the teacher is saying, but it’s all going over my head. I only understand a bit of sign language, and no matter how many times I tell her, she ignores me. It’s damn frustrating.

I just watch her, figuring I’m going to have to figure this out on my own like everything else. When she finishes, I nod at her and look back at my teacher, who is moving around the room, back to me, and speaking. Damn it. I’ve become pretty adept at reading lips, and at least if he’s facing me, I can make out some of what he’s saying.

Suddenly the teacher stops and makes his way to the door of the classroom. The principal comes in and says something to him, but I can’t see his lips so I can’t figure out what it is. When they finish, the teacher turns and looks at me and waves me forward. Dread fills my stomach, but I nod, gather my things, and stand. My aide follows me as we make our way towards the door.

The principal is older, but has a nice enough smile as he looks at me. He nods at my teacher and we make our way down the empty hallway towards his office.

This isn’t a bad school. Hell, it’s a huge step up from the one back home in New York. I didn’t have anyone to help me there like I do here, and the kids here are a hell of a lot nicer too. The best thing to ever happen to me is coming here to be with Raven. Even if it was awkward for a bit.

Now I have my own room, a bathroom to myself, and people I can text when I need them. I even have a couple hundred bucks in my Batman piggy bank already. The MC guys are awesome, and they don’t treat me like I’m disabled, like others do. The chores they have me doing at the clubhouse are easy enough, but time consuming. I don’t mind though, because it means I’m earning some money on my own. I’m supposed to go back on Friday to the mechanic shop, so hopefully in a few months I’ll have saved enough so I can buy a game system and some games.

Sloan promised me that whatever games I buy he’ll play with me. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I’m excited about that. Sloan is a cool dude. Nothing like I thought he would be for someone so rich. He doesn’t treat me like a kid all the time, and hangs out with me, even when Raven isn’t around.

Raven told me last week that she and Sloan aren’t going to do the fake thing anymore, they are going to date for real. I’m pretty stoked, even though it means I now have to put up with coming home to find them making out all the time. All I can say is there are some things a brother should not see his sister doing, and that’s one of them.

I frown, suddenly realizing the principal is leading me to the guidance counselor’s office and not his. Why the hell am I here? When he leads me in, I immediately stiffen when I see who’s sitting at the round table in the corner.

Ms. Liscumb has been pretty scarce lately, and I figured she gave up and was going to leave us alone. I guess I was wrong. I also don’t like that she’s here and Raven isn’t. Maybe I should text her?

Before I can pull out my phone, Ms. Liscumb stands, giving a polite smile to the principal and my aide. I watch her and feel nerves bubbling in my belly when I make out the words, “Thank you. I’ll take it from here. No, I don’t need anyone to stay. This is confidential. He doesn’t need someone to translate. We can write it down or he can read my lips.”

Yeah, I really don’t like this. I don’t look away, even though I can sense the principal and my aide leaving. Fuck.

Ms. Liscumb looks back at me, and the smile on her lips drops. She points to the chair opposite her at the table and orders, “Sit.”

Slowly, I move and sit down, wishing desperately for this to be over. I don’t want to be alone with her. Her eyes are mean, and even now as she looks at me, I can tell she doesn’t like me. I look at her, waiting.

She pulls out a folder from the small stack beside her, and then a pen and paper. She opens the folder and I see my picture with a bunch of information under it. It looks like a record of some kind, and at the top is a stamp with big bold letters saying DEAF.

Well, I guess there’s no chance of her forgetting it that way.

She looks up at me and pursues her lips. She grabs the pen and paper and starts writing.

Ms. Liscumb: Your school record shows you’ve been at school every day but your grades are far from decent. Do you realize you’re only making Bs in some of your classes?

I look at the words, confused. Bs are perfectly normal grades, and that’s with me learning most of it on my own.

Carefully, I write back when she hands the paper and pen to me.

Me: Bs are good grades.

She narrows her eyes at my response.

Ms. Liscumb: Bs mean you’re not putting the effort into your classes like you should be. That you’re being lazy instead of actually applying yourself. Do you not turn in your homework? You should be doing it at home, and your sister should be making sure you do.

Anger burns inside me at her words. I grab the pen and paper and write back quickly.

Me: I am doing my homework! I turn it in and get the grades back. Raven always helps me with my homework. Or Sloan. And I’m not lazy! I have to learn it differently than everyone else and I make mistakes.

Okay, maybe I stretched the truth on the Raven and Sloan helping me part, but I don’t care. This woman is being a bitch and has it out for us.

Ms. Liscumb doesn’t answer that, instead she focuses on Raven and Sloan.

Ms. Liscumb: Your sister and Mr. Lincoln are still seeing each other?

Me: Yes. Why does that matter?

Ms. Liscumb: It matters because I say so. I’m in charge of making sure you’re in the right place, and I’m not convinced that your sister is the right person to take care of you. She’s got a history and I’m not about to let her get away with it.

What the hell is she talking about? I stare at her, confused.

Me: What history?

Something flashes on her face. Triumph? Glee? I don’t know, but I don’t like it. She pulls out another folder, and this one has Raven’s name on it. She opens it and turns it towards me. She takes the paper and pen from me as I stare at the file, reading the information in front of me.

Information that I already know a lot of, but I still feel sick. My stomach tightens as I read past the complaints she made, and the word “UNFOUNDED” beside them. Wait. Are they trying to say Raven lied? That she made all that up?

I look down at the paper Ms. Liscumb shoves in front of me, and I don’t know what to do when I read her words.

Ms. Liscumb: Your sister liked to lie a lot when she was younger. She used to claim that people raped her, that she was being abused. No one was ever proven to have done that. We do have records of her abusing drugs and alcohol, and I highly doubt a person like that would stop. They just get better at hiding it. And I will not allow you to be exposed to that.

Me: RAVEN DOESN’T DO DRUGS EVER.

Ms. Liscumb: Maybe not in front of you, but she does them. It’s all here in black and white. Do you really think she cares about you, Falcon? All she wants from you is the check that comes along with you to support her habits. And her boyfriend is falling for it too. No one wants a burden around unless they get something out of it. Did she tell you why she left and never went back?

I shake my head, numb at the words. A burden? That’s what they think I am? That I’m not worth anything more than a paycheck? No. No, that can’t be true. Raven loves me. She’s been good to me. So has Sloan. She has to be lying.

Ms. Liscumb grabs Raven’s folder from me and flips up the next page. I stare at it, shocked as she starts writing again.

Ms. Liscumb: She killed her own baby, Falcon. Do you really want to live with someone who would do that?