HM
Speaking Up by Lilah Haen
I wonder everyday what being able to say what you want is like. I’ve never been able to talk. People would call me mute. I was born with mutism. I can hear perfectly fine, but am not able to talk. My parents put me up for adoption when they found out I would never talk after a doctor’s visit. I had a tongue deformation. I was only two months old at the time. I was adopted when I was two. I still live with my adoptive parents, who seem to understand me. I normally communicate in sign language at home, but at school I use a whiteboard. My first grade teacher always had a sign in her room that said: “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” I always wanted to say that I can’t speak but of course I couldn’t. On the first day of school of second grade, my teacher told me to speak up and not be so shy. I wrote on my whiteboard that I was mute, and couldn’t talk, but she kept insisting that I was lying. After that day, I was homeschooled for the rest of elementary school. One day in summer, near the time school started, my mom and dad told me that they decided to have me go to middle school. I would be starting in sixth grade, so they thought it would be good for me to have a fresh start. I cried for the rest of the day. My parents had me write out a slip that explained why I couldn’t talk. They both signed it, and they copied about a million slips of it for me to take to school. I never thought I would be ready, but here I am. I am so nervous, walking into the middle school. My parents are right beside me, but I am more nervous than I have ever been. The principal is outside pretending to act casual, but I can tell he is waiting to meet me. He says, “Hello Rio! I am pleased to meet you, and am glad to see you attend Washington Middle! I hope you feel welcome here! There is a special locker for you by all your classes. There’s a few communication devices in there. My name is Principal Newman. If you need anything, anything at all, just ask.” My parents said goodbye to me, and then I was on my own. I found my way to my first class very easy. The whole day was pretty easy until I came across Leila. Leila was the school bully. She came up to me and said, “Are you new?” I nodded. She replied “What is your name?” I got my whiteboard out and tried to write my name but not before she yelled at me to respond to her. I handed her one of the slips of paper, but almost instantly she tore it up. She yelled, “Why aren’t you responding?” I tried to write it down, but not before Principal Newman walked down the hall. He asked, “Why are you girls late?” Leila replied almost instantly, “She got in my way.” Principal Newman then turned to me. He said, “Can you please write down what happened Rio?” I write, “I tried to get to class, but then Leila stopped me. She ripped up my paper and yelled at me.” Leila gave me the death stare. Principal Newman asked Leila to follow him and then told me to go to class. When class ended, one girl came up to me and said, “Did you really stand up to Leila?” I nodded. She smiled. She said, “No one has ever spoken up to Leila. My name is Ella. Do you want
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