“Why makes him so special that he doesn’t get a power dampening cuff?”

Liam keeps his head down, trying to just make it through fourth period. There’s 13 minutes left.

“He’s got autism.”

“Oh. So he’s one of those kids.”

“Why isn’t he in the special learning class?”

“He doesn’t talk like us. Do you think he understands us?”

He squeezes his eyes shut, willing for time to pass. He never understands why people see him differently. Just cause he’s neurodivergent doesn’t make him less human. Liam is beginning to adopt Lou’s philosophy of cats being supreme.

If only they allowed for his headphones during class but contrary to what his classmates believe, he doesn’t get special treatment. He may have to not wear the bracelet, but he refuses to be an exception in any other sense. He hates exceptions.

“Hey, shut up. He’s smarter than all of us combined,” Jeremiah snaps.

Liam’s eyes widen. Jeremiah doesn’t look like he normally does. Usually, Jeremiah has a permanent smile that’s all teeth. It is almost unsettling. Facing the not so quiet people, Jeremiah is frowning, and not even a small downturn of his lips, but a deeply upset one.

“How would you know? He doesn’t even talk.”

“He can talk. He uses his fun phone voice and can sign. I think that makes him an excellent communicator,” he retorts, his tone firm, unmoving.

The others leave him alone. It is almost like Jeremiah’s powers is persuasion instead of plant based. Just one word from him (actually several) and their peers realize it isn’t worth it. Or maybe they respect Jeremiah and don’t want to go against him. Either way, Liam is grateful.

Jeremiah’s hands move a bit stilted and uncertain, but the message is clear._ Are you ok?_

Liam suddenly feels choked up, his throat closing up and his eyes get blurry. He doesn’t understand why, but maybe he doesn’t need to know. _Yes. Thank you_. He manages to sign back.

Jeremiah wears that wide smile again. Even if it looks painful to Liam, he’s beginning to realize it’s his natural state. And everyone should be who they really are.

That’s what he likes about Jeremiah and his friends. They appear as they are.

“Lo siento, I don’t know how to say this all in sign. But I’m sorry about those guys.”

Getting his phone out, he answers, “It’s ok. I’ve heard worse.”

Admanantly shaking his head, Jeremiah refutes, “No, it’s not ok. They shouldn’t judge you.”

Typing into his phone, he tries to express himself. Reassuring isn’t Liam’s forte. So doing both at the same time is genuinely difficult for him. But he’s trying. For his friend. “Well I don’t like any of them. None of their opinions count. I like you and yours counts.”

Beaming again, Jeremiah appears content, so Liam believes he did an adequate job at what he was intending to do.

“Why are you learning sign?” Liam brings up. Why is he learning? Liam has his phone, so they can still communicate. Why learn another language? Jeremiah already knows two. No need to be confused with a third.

“Well actually I wanted to ask you and your hermano to help me,” Jeremiah says. When Liam doesn’t responds, he adds, “I want to learn for you.”

Even though Liam thinks that Jeremiah is pretty much who he appears to be, he does stuff that puzzles him. Like this. “Why?”

“Because you’re mi amigo. Your opinion counts for me tambien. And I want to know it in your language.”

Liam isn’t good with feelings, his own or others, but the gesture warms this heart. Jeremiah never lets Liam wonder what he means. He always is just out right with his intentions.

Jeremiah is a good friend. Maybe Liam’s first real friend (not counting his siblings).

OoOoO

“So I was thinking after school, we could go check out that art store. Mom and Dad said you could get some new supplies,” Zac suggests, leaning backwards in his chair.

Lunch was moved inside today and the noise of everyone in a confined space hurt Liam’s ears, so Zac brought him to the library to eat. Jeremiah and his friends tried to follow, but Zac waved him off and said it was brother bonding time. Whatever that means.

“Ok. I need seven things,” Liam signs, and then goes to count his carrot sticks. Eight.

“We’ll pick up Precious and then go,” Zac begins to talk through their day and how it will go.

“Can Jeremiah and Este come?” Liam asks, not even looking at Zac.

His reply isn’t surprising to Liam. “No.”

If his brother is anything, he is consistent. Though Liam doesn’t quite grasp why Zac had an instant dislike of Jeremiah. When around Jeremiah and his friends, Zac appears to be ok. Talks and interacts, at least.

He isn’t the best at interpreting conversations, but he thinks Zac likes Jeremiah and the rest. But for some reason, he doesn’t want to like him.

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t trust him fully yet,” Zac responds. To Liam, it should be simple. Jeremiah is nice and wants to be Liam’s friend, and Liam believes he’s the same to Jeremiah. So what does Zac see that Liam doesn’t.

He trusts Zac. He doesn’t know the feeling with many other people. So he wants to believe his brother. But it doesn’t make sense in his head.

“Trust him with what? Me?” It’s not accusatory. Liam isn’t sure if he knows how to be. It’s a genuine question. Because he so wants to understand.

Normally, it is easy to understand Zac. He’s an open book for Liam, opening his pages willingly to him. Now it feels shut, unable to read him.

Zac doesn’t speak which makes Liam uneasy. It seems that he is the one struggling with what to say this time. “It’s not that I don’t trust you to make your own friends, Liam. I don’t trust other people to have your best interest at heart. Jeremiah is so….too nice.”

“Too nice? Someone can be too nice?”

_Too nice?_ Out of all the things to be, too nice doesn’t sound that bad. Jeremiah is abundantly nice, not too nice.

Zac crosses his arms and leans back in his chair, the front legs hovering over the ground. “Yes. Too nice people usually want something,” Zac explains.

His justification only jumbles Liam’s thoughts more. Liam knows his own shortcomings. He knows he doesn’t read people, so in the past, he’s needed to rely on Zac or Precious or his parents. But this is the first time he felt like he can decide for himself.

“No,” he signs, confident in the movement.

Immediately, Zac leans forwards, the chair fully on the ground. It makes a small squeak when it dragged on the ground which makes Liam wince.

“What?” He asks, clearly not expecting Liam to disagree.

Going back to his lunch, he lowers his gaze. “Jeremiah is just a nice person. A nice friend,” he answers simply.

Zac shakes his head, his eyes holding this specific look. One that Liam sees a lot on him. He just doesn’t know what it means. “How do you know that?” Zac questions.

“Because he wanted to learn sign for me. Just because he wants to be my friend,” Liam signs, trying to express the genuine intentions of Jeremiah.

His brother becomes silent. His mouth opened and closed three times but nothing came out.

Liam lives his life with a lot of confusion. Zac is normally the one with the answers, always prepared. But he seems….put off by this conversation.

“And he wants you and me to help him learn. When he does ask, I want you to say yes,” he continues.

Lifting his head up, Liam makes himself look his brother in the eye, which takes a lot of effort for him. Zac meets his eyes, a new glint in them. Another thing that Liam can not know about.

A smile forms on his lips, which is usually a good sign. His brother only smiles when be feels positive emotions. He never fakes a smile.

“Ok.”