Sally
Allison breezed in, flashing a bright smile. “Hey, girl!” I smiled back, waving as she settled into her seat.
“So, what’s up?” she asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. “Your text said you wanted to catch up, but I sense there’s more to it.”
I watched as Allison’s eyes sparkled with curiosity, her gaze piercing as she studied my face. “Okay, what’s going on? I can tell something is really up,” she asked, her voice low and intuitive.
I nodded ahead, my expression enigmatic. Allison’s eyes narrowed, and she leaned in, as if trying to read my mind.
I took a deep breath and began to sign, my hands moving in a fluid motion. “So, before I start, I’d like to ask you a question,” I signed.
Allison’s eyes widened, and she nodded eagerly. I continued to sign, “But I’ll answer that question first.”
Her brow furrowed, intrigued. I paused, my hands still, and spoke, my voice barely above a whisper. “What secret have you been keeping lately?”
I locked eyes with Allison, a mischievous glint dancing in their depths.
“Remember that video I took of you and Jayden nine months ago at the hospital?” I signed, my words spilling out in a rush. “I didn’t delete it. I found it in my hidden files last week, and I was shocked.”
Allison’s face turned ashen, her eyes wide with alarm. “Oh my goodness,” she breathed.
I chuckled, a low, throaty sound.
“Don’t worry, I’ve deleted it already. Anyway, what’s your own secret that you’ve been keeping lately?”
She bit her bottom lip, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. “Remember when Victor was rushed to the hospital?” she asked, her voice measured.
I nodded, intrigued. Allison continued, “He claimed his phone was stolen, and some thief broke into his apartment, beat him up, and wrecked his phone, laptop, etcetera.”
I raised an eyebrow, sensing where this was going. Allison’s eyes locked onto mine, a hint of mischief dancing in their depths. “It wasn’t a thief, Sally. It was Jayden.”
My eyes widened, shocked. Allison’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Jayden threatened him, told him to keep quiet, and Victor didn’t press charges. He just… forgot about it.”
I signed, my hands moving swiftly. “Really? That means Victor’s ordeal was all Jayden’s doing?”
She nodded, a sly smile spreading across her face. “Yes. And besides, Victor deserved it. He’d been keeping our sex tape for months, and he almost posted it online without our consent.”
My eyes widened, outraged on Allison’s behalf. Allison’s expression turned cold, her voice dripping with disdain. “Jayden wasn’t amused, and he took matters into his own hands.”
I signed, my hands moving swiftly. “And what about Victor sleeping with a professor?”
Allison’s smile grew wider, a hint of satisfaction in her eyes.
“Oh, that was just the cherry on top. Victor was so busy trying to keep his own secrets buried that he couldn’t afford to cross Jayden.”
Then, she laughed, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
“For real, Allison,” I signed, shaking my head. “Well, nobody dares cross Jayden anymore. He’s wiser, more independent… and utterly untouchable.”
“Anyway, you didn’t call me here to share secrets, huh?” she asked, raising a brow.
I grinned, a mischievous glint in my eye. “That’s why I called you here,” I said, “to share secrets.”
Allison raised an eyebrow. “I don’t have any secrets left to share,” she said with a chuckle.
I leaned in, a sly smile spreading across my face. “I do have another one, though.”
“What is it?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper and her curiosity piqued.
I signed softly, my hands moving with deliberate slowness. Allison’s eyes locked onto mine, her gaze intent.
“Do you remember the secret Mum said I was hiding?” I signed, my eyes locked onto Allison’s.
Allison’s brow furrowed, her expression thoughtful. “Oh, that secret… You never told me, but you said you would when the time came.”
I took a deep breath, my voice leaving my lips, barely above a whisper. “The thing is… I can speak.”
Allison’s eyes widened, shock written across her face. I have never seen a person’s face turn extremely white as a ghost before.
“What?!” she screamed. “Wait, wha… what?… You… You can speak?”
I nodded, a small smile on my face. “Yes, I can.”
“Does your own mom know this secret?” She asked.
“No, she doesn’t know a thing,” I replied, shaking my head.
“And my own mom, how did she even find out?” Allison asked, staring deeply at me. “Damn! It’s so weird hearing you speak. You’ve a great sweet voice by the way.”
“Thanks,” I smiled, briefly glancing down. “Anyway, how did your mom find out? Well, it happened that day when I was furious with her,” I explained. “I told her she needed to tell you the truth, that she should open up to you about… everything. I was so angry, I spoke out for the first time, and she was shocked. She couldn’t even look me in the eye.”
Allison’s eyes filled with understanding. “She told you to leave, to never see her again, right? She wasn’t herself at that period. No wonder why that happened.”
I nodded, the memory still painful.
She paused, collecting her thoughts. “But… you can speak. What really happened? Why have you been lying to us all these years?”
Her eyes searched mine, seeking answers. “That time Mom brought you from the orphanage, I thought you never spoke to us. Did you have selective mutism and you grew with it? It’s fine, you know and I’m glad that you are able to open up now.”
“Well, you could say that, but the actual reason is because of trauma,” I replied to Allison, my voice barely above a whisper.
“I was traumatized during childhood. I had a… a trauma that I don’t think I can open up about right now.”
Allison’s expression turned sympathetic, and she signed a reassuring phrase, her hands moving softly. She then wrapped her arms around me in a warm hug.
“You’ll be fine, okay?” she whispered. “You can always come to me, and you can take your time. When you’re ready to talk, I’ll be here.”
I hugged her back, feeling a sense of gratitude and comfort.
Allison pulled back, her eyes searching mine. “So, is there anyone you’ve told this to yet, apart from me?”
I bit my bottom lip, looking down as I whispered, “Yes.”
Allison’s eyes locked onto mine, her gaze intense. “Who?” she asked, her voice soft.
I took a deep breath before answering, “Your mother, of course. She knows.”
Allison’s expression changed, and she burst out laughing. “Yeah, right,” she said, her eyes sparkling with amusement.