I tell you this to show you that I’m not mute. It’s just that a long time ago, I realized that it was best to keep all of my words, the audible ones that other people use, inside of me, where no one can find them.

Part 1: Silent
I slid into my first period history class on my first day of high school, hoping no one would notice that I was late.

“Katy Haskin?â€?

I nodded, nearly imperceptibly, wrapping my arms around myself for comfort. He looked at me, seemed to really see me for the first time. “Oh!â€? The exclamation slipped out of him. “Katy ,â€? he nodded. “Of course.â€?

I watched my classmates giggling behind their hands. School means trying to blend in just enough that I don’t stand out from the crowd. If no one looks at me, then I’m safe.

High school, I’ve decided, is basically a big game of dodge-ball. Just run around, get safely from place to place without being hit, and you’ll be fine. But sometimes, they come out at you seemingly from nowhere. And then sometimes, you find a big wall to hide behind.