--STORY TOLD IN NICO'S P.O.V.--

I sat silently in the front of the bus as it drove me and fifty other kids to school. High school, that is.

Sitting alone was boring. Especially when you couldn't strike up a conversation. Sure, you may be socially awkward and not want to talk, but me, I can't help but stay silent.

It's not because I have anything wrong with me except the fact I'm mute. I was born with it. There was something wrong with my wind pipe and when the doctors had to do surgery, they could save my wind pipe, but they couldn't save my voice. I guess I was pretty lucky, seeing as I could have died.

The only downside is, I never spoke my first word. There's no videos of me laughing, no family memories where I say something adorable, or accidently swear.

I try not to let that get me down, everyone says that they'd love and care for a mute person, and some people actually do. Some people who I remember vaguely, blurry images in my brain who I can't seem to place and probably never will.

Other people have empty claims. They claim they'll be fine with whatever, but inside they aren't and just hope you'll never tell them you're something they don't want you to be. Like people at my old school used to hold, empty claims.

This was a new school, though. New people, new possibilities!

Hopefully, everything will be fine. Just keep a low profile like the past schools. Make one or two friends and stick with that. Have conversations through notes, try not to kill any moods, and stay away from the popular bunch.

Just like every other year, there will be people who pity me. I see it in their eyes, but try to ignore it. It never goes away though.

And I just have to deal with that by myself.

The bus came to a sudden stop, signaling the children to get off. We all unpacked one by one, me being the last one off. I was always last in fear of being rude and cutting in front of someone.

The school wasn't too shabby, I noticed as I got my first glances. It was a brick building looked pretty new. There were kids hanging out in the courtyard and some you could see rushing to be the first ones to their classes.

Honestly, the feel was pretty warming, welcoming, even. To say the least, I was filled with anxious butterflies and bubbling with drops of excitement.