Keesha was trying almost desperately to stop herself from thinking
about her horrible night at the Hanson's. But no matter what she did it
always seemed to play again. She was reminded about the lyrics of a
song by a guy name Puff Daddy. 'What was the name of the song?' She
asked herself. 'Missing you?' She thought for a moment. 'Yeah, that's
it. Now, what were the words.' She held her breath for a second. 'I
try to block it out but it plays again?'
She shrugged. 'That song was about a famous rapper being shot,
Stupid.' She reminded herself. 'No one's shot here. Or dead.'
Quickly Keesha stood up and went to her desk. Opening her 'book' she
started to scribble down a few lines. she only thought of about two
lines, but then her hand started writing on it's own. 'Weird.' She
thought as she got back into her bed. She stared up at the ceiling.
"By the dreams that you do set, pray tell me why you made me forget."
She said up to the heavens. Then she closed her eyes and forced herself
into a restless sleep.
-Hanson's house-
Taylor, Isaac, and Zac were sitting at the breakfast table staring at
each other. Each lost in their own thoughts about Keesha.
"Do you really think that Keesha tried to commit suicide?" Taylor
asked his brothers.
Zac looked really thoughtful. "Knowing her personality, I would have
to say no. But we didn't know her when she first went deaf. She might
have taken it too hard and tried to commit suicide." He pointed out.
Taylor and Isaac weren't shocked at how Zac came up with this answer.
Even though he was twelve, he was wise way beyond his years. And he
didn't dwell on that fact. He didn't take to being called a genius. He
was always like, 'Who me? A genius? Nah!' And he would do a goofy
little dance to try and convince people that he was just a kid having
fun.
Isaac nodded his head in agreement. "You definitely have a point,
Zac. We didn't know her when she first went deaf. Therefor, we have no
idea how she acted. But still, I find it quite hard to believe that
Keesha actually tried to do it in the first place. And I've seen the
scars!!!"
"Well, the best way to do this is to talk to Keesha about it. Maybe
she'll tell us. That way we won't have to over work our maginations."
Taylor said getting up and stretching.
Zac looked skeptical. "Do you actually think that she's going to tell
us?"
Taylor shrugged. "We have to do something. And it's a lot better
than thinking what she may have felt and drove her to try and do it."
He replied picking up the phone.
"Umm, Tay?" Isaac said tapping him on the shoulder.
"What?" He asked as he was about to start dialing.
"Who are you calling?" Isaac asked simply.
Taylor gave him a weird look. "Duh, Ike. I'm going to call Keesha."
Isaac nodded. "Just checking."
Taylor started to dial when he felt Isaac tapping him on the shoulder
again. "Yes, Ike? He asked in annoyance.
"Tay, just think about what you said." Isaac said as he sat back down
at the table smiling.
"What are you talking about?" Taylor asked confused.
Zac rolled his eyes. "He's talking about how you are trying to call a
deaf girl and talk to her on the phone!!"
"Oh." Taylor said sheepishly as he hung up the phone. "I guess that
really wouldn't have worked." He said sitting down at the table also.
"Oh, really? Ya think, Einstein?" Zac asked sarcastically. "Man,
I'm glad we have one genius in the band."
Taylor's face burned slightly. "Give me a break, okay!!" He shouted.
"Geez, I just wasn't thinking clearly okay. I've never had a friend
that I thought tried to kill themselves and failed at it!!"
Zac shrank in his chair. Ashamed that he had said what he did. "I'm
sorry, Tay." He said in almost a whisper. "I've never had a friend
like this either."
Now Taylor felt bad for yelling at Zac.
Isaac watched as his brother's nearly came apart. "Are you two
finished now?" He asked. "Because I know that none of us has a friend
that tried to kill themselves."
"This is something I only thought that I'd read about in a book, or a
newspaper article." Zac said slowly.
Taylor nodded. "Yeah. This isn't how it's supposed to be. We are
only supposed to read about this happening to someone we don't know.
Not to a friend of ours." He put in.
Isaac stared at them. "Well, get used to it. Because twenty percent
of teenager deaths were caused by suicide alone last year. Now think
about how many teenagers didn't die. What percent do you think that
they are at?" He asked quietly.
Taylor and Zac just stared at Isaac in shock. Isaac was calm looking
but they knew that inside he was probably squirming. Trying to think of
a good way to bring the subject up in front of Keesha.
-Keesha's house-
Africa nudged Keesha's thigh signaling that something was happening.
She saw that someone was ringing the doorbell. Quickly, she ran to it
and opened the door to find Isaac, Taylor, and Zac standing there. They
looked quite uncomfortable.
"Come in." She said motioning them inside.
After they walked in and stared at her she made sure her sleeves were
completely down. "Come into the library. It's my favorite room." She
said forcing a bright smile. She was starting to feel uncomfortable
under their stares.
The guys all sat down on a large black leather couch as Keesha sat in
an arm chair that was also black leather. "Is there something on your
minds?" She asked avoiding their penetrating stares.
When she finally looked up Isaac started talking. "Keesha we don't
want to seem like we are nosy and everything, but_ _," He started.
"You want to know about the scars that you and Zac saw last night."
Keesha finished for him.
Isaac nodded his answer.
"It's only because we care." Taylor said. His eyes were pleading her
to tell them.
Keesha felt really bad. She didn't have an answer to their question.
She wouldn't be able to ease their minds. She couldn't tell them the
truth. Because she, herself, didn't even know the truth. It was
something that was kept from her. She cleared her throat. "I'm sorry to
tell you this guys." She said hoping that her voice was soft. "But I
don't even know about them. I don't even know how I became deaf." 'I
was left in silence six years ago,a nd never been brought out.' She
thought angrily to herself.
Zac's mouth fell open. "Oh." His eyes were huge.
Taylor and Isaac did the same.
Sighing, Keesha sat up straighter in her chair. "I don't even think
that my mother knows the truth." She said shrugging.
Asia walked into the library from where she was standing outside,
listening to the conversation that was taking place inside the library.
She made sure Keesha was looking at her before she spoke.
When she had Keesha's attention she started to talk. "That's not
true." Her voice faltered. "I do know how you got those scars. And
why you did, in fact, go deaf,Keesha."
Keesha stared at her mother in disbelief. "Please continue." She
choked out. She felt as if she was being strangled. She was finally
going to know what had haunted her when she thought during the day and
and what had scared her when she dreamed at night. When she got to
sleep.
Asia was slightly holding back. She didn't even know if she could
tell the horrible story. It had been, after all, six years since the
terrible event had happened. She though that she might have forgotten
it, but she didn't. She had tried to, but every time she saw Keesha the
memory blazed in her mind. Eating at her mind and heart. "You don't
remember because_ _ _ "
