How Do I Say This?

A/N so I've come up with a new story idea which I'm hoping I will actually finish for you guys. It's a little different to ones I have written before, but I hope you like it

_____How Do I Say This? _____

Prologue

I am different. Always has been, always will be. You are already making assumptions about me. Hardly any of them will be right. I will admit I'm strange, out of the ordinary. Although you would glance at me in the street and just take me as an average person. My dark ginger hair, from when I was five in the UK, has turned to a dark red since I've been in the States for 11 years.
No I didn't come straight across the pond. They kept me in the UK for two years but my 'father' managed to keep finding me. So that's when they shipped me across the pond. I say shipped, a person who worked at the care home came with me on the flight.

I have pet hates like any other person. I have enemies, but they just took things the wrong way from the start. My brain is more active, with me accessing 20% of it. That hasn't really helped me make friends, but there is a couple that I would trust with my life. It was genuinely hard to find them.

What didn't help the fact was I was just quiet, and unknowingly, kept staring at anything. It creeped most of my class mates to pieces and they hated me. But there was a few who understood me, knew how I worked. They had known sign language due to having a younger sister who is deaf.

Ironically it was male twins. The first people you would think of going against a tallish, freakishly quiet, ginger girl. I must admit they were cute at the age of nine and I was one of the few people who can tell them apart. Even now, people struggle, but I don't. There are clear differences, but apparently I'm the only ome who sees them.

They aren't jocks, but they aren't nerds, they float in the middle. Well Felix is more of a jock and Carlos is more of a nerd, but it wouldn't be right any other way. Their little sister is called Corbin, Latin in origin compared to the Spanish origin of the boys.

Felix means lucky, which he is in a sense from not getting caught from the pranks he does. Carlos means strong, which he is acadmically and emotionally. Corbin means a raven, which is true in her way of black hair and her intelligence, she is like me and Carlos in that way.

There's always been a strong bond between me and the Millers, Felix, Carlos and Corbin (in age order) because of the pain we have been through. Well, to an extent. The Millers because of Corbin being deaf. Mine because of a different thing. We all converse in sign language, but the teachers have picked up on that in our lessons together. Obviously Corbin isn't in them, but the pair of us share something more in common.

There's a song that ruins a movie for me. A whole movie ruined by one song. Well I say one song, it's just one line in the chorus that makes me hate it. The film; Disney's The Jungle Book. The song; I Wanna Be Like You. The line? Well that's easy; I wanna walk like you, talk like you too.

The house I lived in as I grew up kept the movie from me for that reason. To protect me. To stop me hurting. So it was unavoidable when I walked out of drama class when I was 10 because of that song. I sound like a strange child because I done that. You have all judged me already.

But here is my reason at how I am. I am mute. Unable to say a word. Despite the therapy. Despite all the help. It was my childhood. Well my toddler ages to be specific. I've changed my life to the other end of the spectrum.

Well not just me, it was with the help of the navy. Or to be specific, Director Patel's family. They took me in when I was 8, instead of me staying in the adoption house. Director Patel runs NCIS and is genuinely busy, but sees to his dedicated wife, own two children and last of all me. The runt of the family so to speak.

Although I can't. I've never been able to. I'm Kafi. Well that's what the African agent called me because I wouldn't speak at 5 years old when they rescued me. They took me to an adoption home in the UK where I used to live. But I got brought over to the States for specialist treatment, which hasn't quite worked. They let me stay though, and look where I am.

Now, at 18, I'm applying to be a special agent at NCIS. Well to be specific a junior field agent. I need to be specific in that job, otherwise I wouldn't be ranked up to a field agent, let alone a senior field agent.

This is always what I have wanted to do. Just so I can help people. I know death is involved, but preventing more deaths has its rewards. Dad has taught me that; just because one person dies, everyone cries. When more than one person is saved from the reprecussions, everyone cries but for different reasons.

For me, it will be particularly hard to try and make a point, being mute. I either need to find my voice, use the sign language I have been taught or get an app so I can type what I need to say, without the text to speech making no pronunciation errors.

The last two seems unlikely, the second of the three relying on someone else there who knows sign language. So it looks like I'm going to have to learn to speak...

 

Thank you. It's hard because she's mute but I'm going to try ^_^

 

Yeah, I have a habit of rambling in my own thoughts, so that will probably become obvious in Kafi's thought as well lol... I have no idea how the American school system works so help would be appreciated before I mess up royally and offend someone...

 

A/N this chapter is a bit lile the last, but I'm giving you guys a more in-depth view on the Patel household, enjoy

Chapter one

A partially constant noise rings in my ears, I open my eyes to find the digital numbers of my best friend blinking when I blink. Pushing myself up, I stretch my 5'9 figure out across the small double bed in my own room. The faint lights of dawn creep under my window cause me to smile. Light always wants to banish the dark.

Automatically, I stand up, stretching myself briefly again. Sooooo here goes the daily routine. Actually, let's not. Instead I grab my phone from where I left it charging on the desk. I have messages already, I can tell... My suspicions get confirmed when my phone screen blinks to life and the light stream across the bottom flashes.

You have three new messages is sprawled across my front screen. I open my message center and see all three Millers at the top of the list. Starting with the first one that was sent, my eyes start reading...

Hey! It was red sky last night at dusk, so get ready for a brilliant day! Oh yeah, just to mention the boys stayed up until half eleven talking about you...! I wasn't listening… And you never found that out from me, so I roll my eyes at Corbin's candor, and I open the second message as I open my curtains.

Good morning Señorita, hope you have a brilliant day which is already full of smiles. The sun will be your spotlight today, enjoy it! C x My face lights up in a smile immediately when I read Carlos' text. Shortly after my cheeks turn a light pink, even though no one can see me. I hope.

My smile vanishes as I scan the surrounding houses for anyone watching me. Of course, no one is, but it is better to be safe than sorry. I look down at the dark grey, too big, T-shirt I wore to bed with black leggings, to realise that I had scrunched a load of it in my spare hand. With my hand shaking, I release my T-shirt for it to fall back into place. I head towards my wardrobe as I read my third message.

Wake up, school isn't going to stop for you. Well apart from the majority of students, as they'll be watching you walk through the door, with their mouths wide open. In admiration of course... Don't forget your lift won't wait at eight either, so be ready for the ride of your life. And of course it's Felix, like the number ID points out...

I roll my eyes at Felix's chivalry, or the lack of it. He jokes around with me a lot as we know each other well. As far as the school was concerned he was a 'player' but he's far from it. That I can say for sure, he just gets his heart broken by girls easily after falling for each and everyone of them like tonnes of bricks. We've had in-depth sign conversations about that fact. After the, I don't know how many, times he has ended up crying into my shoulder.

My wardrobe creaks if I open it wrong, and Anastasia next door doesn't like to be woken until her alarm goes off. So I place my phone on the soft blue carpet before concentrating on opening the door quietly. Someone sharply draws in air before entering my room through my open door. I know who it is as she caught the squeaky floorboard. "You don't have to be quiet, I'm already awake." Anastasia comments as she wanders across my room, looking out the window like I did.

I nod as I open my wardrobe normally, then I bend down to grab my phone to chuck it on my bed. "That's Carlos' top isn't it?" Ana asks me curiously. As a natural reaction I glare at her. I chuck my phone on my bed before hastily signing "yeah, but I'm getting it washed and giving it back to him at the end of the week." Ana nods, a slight grin on her face.

I already know what she is going to reply "of course you will. Although he probably wouldn't mind if you left it. He likes your smell." She replies with a smile, exactly what I thought. I roll my eyes "doubt it." I sign, showing I'm not really bothered by turning back to look at my wardrobe.

Ana stands by my right side, surveying my wardrobe like I am. Mentally, I've pictured my outfit for the day already, but I knew Ana had other ideas. I picked up my light grey short sleeved T-shirt with ribbed sides while Ana clicks her tongue in thought. Ana glances at what I picked up and then throws me a white vest which I catch with ease.

We stand there, mentally debating what to put with the top half of my outfit. Over two minutes, we both point out different bottoms to go with it and the other would shake their head. We had made no progress until a long arm reached over our shoulders and picked out a high waisted skirt. Mum. Grinning, I take the skirt.

Only mum knows how to avoid the floorboard. She used to check on me in the night when I was asleep so she wouldn't wake me, and it was how she knew I was awake. That was before I realised I could avoid it. I frown to myself how could I have missed her footsteps?

Ana smiles as we turn round, I move past mum to put my clothes on my bed. Once I put the stuff on my bed, a strong arm wraps around my waist. I can't help grinning as dad lifts me in the air like I was still five years old. With him being 6'3, I can lean my head on his shoulder when he lifts me up, but I know he struggles to find suits for himself. I plant a kiss on his cheek and he puts me down again, pulling all of us three girls into a hug.

This wasn't an usual morning tradition for us four, as we are missing Elesa, my other sister, and Pascal, our border collie. Dad brought Pascal when I was twelve, just to see if he would help bring me out of shell. So many times I have actually tried talking to him like everyone else, but I haven't had the confidence.

I watch dad's, and mum's, expression to see if anything is out of place, and I spot something so small, anyone else would over look it. Dad had a scratch under his chin. It wasn't big, but it had him worried. Maybe someone got him with a knife. He could dismiss it off as a shaving cut to his colleagues, but I know a knife cut when I see one.

Dad notices that I have seen and he gives me a small smile, meaning I'll talk to you later. Ana doesn't notice at all, mum, on the other hand, already knows the reason.

Elesa stands crossed armed in the door way with a mock angry expression "where's my hug?" Elesa couldn't keep the angry tone and her voice breaks into laughter. She comes over and joins us in the huddle. I heard her footsteps and she caught the floorboard, dad did as well which almost went unnoticed.

Pascal whines as he clambers up the stairs to us in my bedroom, and that's when dad breaks the hug. Like always, Pascal comes and checks on me first, his tail constantly swishing side to side.

When I couldn't sleep because of nightmares which started after mum stopped checking on me, I used to silently creep downstairs. There I would sit with Pascal for a bit, give him hugs, and occasionally if the nightmare was too much, cry into his white fur around the nape of his neck.

I think back to one particular time, I had fallen asleep on the floor out of exhaustion and he never left my side. Well it depends if you count going upstairs to mum, when I was asleep, to get her to help me. Mum just put a pillow under my head and covered me and Pascal with a blanket.

Due to my own fault of wandering into my thoughts: Pascal licked me on the cheek causing me to cringe and ruffle his ears, while the rest of my family laughed. I smile as moments like these aren't rare, and I have stored loads of memories like this in my brain. Pascal continues making his rounds after that, checking each of us. Six years of habit goes a long way.

Like the habit of me saying I'm fine when I'm not. That has happened a lot, but my parents still give me a hug for reassurance as they know I lied. I watch my family's smiles, and Pascal's little dog smile as well, they were a common sight in this house and this is why I loved it here.

"Come mister, lets leave K to get ready." Mum says when Pascal comes to her last, his tail still swishing at the same speed as when he joined us. My family walk out, my dad leaving last, smiling at me sadly before shutting my door. What could it be? It has been years since my so called father has found me. That was ten years ago back in the UK. My body stops moving.

Everything falls into place. Mum coming in. Then dad. Elesa just came in because of everyone else. Dad wanted us all together. That only means that someone could of found me, but how?

I push those thoughts to the back of my mind as I peel Carlos' top off over my head. Sighing, I chuck his top onto my pillow and pulled the white vest over my head. Quickly I pull on the grey top and after changing my briefs, I slip the high waisted skirt on. It falls loosely from my waist, a floaty sense to it, like my personality so far today.

Elesa knocks on my door quietly before slipping in. I smile at her beaming face in my mirror. She comes up behind me, scooping to pick up my hair brush. Gently, she runs the bristles through my dark red bush, smoothing it out strand by strand.

She is proud of me. Elesa always been, she always noticed the tiniest bit of improvement. In my clarity of signing. My posture. My attitude. My emotional state. You see, Elesa has a thing about eyes being the windows to our souls, so I get the idea of staring is alright from her. Well that was the excuse I used Elesa does it… Why can't I?

My hair is transformed, like always. Elesa has brought the top half of it back for it to hang loose at the back, with the odd dainty plait hidden within it, while leaving the rest in the natural waves. She loves working with my hair, Ana's is straight, so working with my wavy hair has been a delight since I have joined the Patels.

I embrace Elesa after turning to face her. Instantly I am wrapped in the smell of cinnamon and baking cookies. When she pulls back, I sign "cookies?" causing her to nod. I grin, kiss her cheek briefly before grabbing my bag from my chair and running down the stairs...

 

Chapter two

I stop on the last step and jump off it, landing on the soft dark cream carpet from Pascal being around. It was like the carpet had hi-lights when you look at it from different angles, with the dark hairs being the dark sections and the white hair being the hi-lights within the carpet. Just at that moment, Pascal comes up to me again, tail swishing side to side like always. I crouch slightly to stroke his head, before continuing on my path to the kitchen.

There they were. Cinnamon cookies on a plate. They had already cooled, so I grabbed three, knowing Ana will take three as well. It's not only us two that likes them. Carlos, Felix, Lian and Noa like them too. Obsess over them even. They always nag me and Ana about the cookies.

Lian and Noa Eshel are a couple of people who joined us in junior year. They are Israeli, and two lovely girls. Ironically, they are the same age, but not twins. Their mother had Noa in September, and fell pregnant with Lian a month after, leaving her being born in June. I'm nosey so that's how I know, but Felix asked for me, in his usual fashion.

We're gradually teaching the pair sign language, which we have kindly asked their extra English teacher to include a section on in their classes with the pair. Just those two, we don't want the whole year to know what we talk about. Which is mostly the rest of the year group so that could be disastrous.

The tv is on quietly in the lounge, obviously mum is sat in there before work. I look down at Pascal, making an idea pop in my head. A speech dog. I can take him into school as a speech dog. That's if school doesn't have a problem with that, and none of my classmates are scared or allergic to dogs. Pascal won't hurt anyone. Well, won't hurt anyone unless they threaten me. He'll deafen them with barks then...

I focus again to find Pascal fetched mum. She looks at me curiously "why did Pascal get me this time?" Mum questions. I smile before signing "a speech dog." I stand there waiting for a response. Mum looks down at Pascal, who is sat beside me looking innocent, helping my case. "How can he be a speech dog?" She allows herself to take the bait. I haven't thought of that... Make it up as you sign Kafi, you might be alright... "Well if no one is allergic or petrified, he'll sit by me in class. If I need the teacher's attention I can raise my hand and he can take a note up..." I ran out of ideas. "You just made that up didn't you?" Mum asked and I looked away guilty.

Dad cleared his throat "that's a brilliant idea Kafi, but speech dogs mean you speak your ideas to him so you feel you aren't talking to anyone else. It means you build yourself up with sentences. So you work yourself up to sentences and we will see what we can do." I look at dad with hope in my eyes and notice mum glare at dad. Pascal tilts his head in slight confusion, but he knows because he's still wagging his tail still.

I embrace mum and dad after closing the space between us. Try and say thank you... I think, and try to get the formation of thank you in my head from the times I've heard it over the years. Carefully, and slowly, I stutter out "th. Th. Tha... N... K. You." I feel mum and dad squeeze me a bit tighter. "You're welcome." Dad kisses my forehead.

From now, it's one step at a time.

Glancing at the clock, dad moves away. "I have to go now, see you later." He kisses my mum on the lips before hugging me proudly again. I probably choose a hard first word, but I've always pushed myself, it wasn't the you I struggled with, it was the thank. All our family watch dad walk out the front door to his car in the drive, which blocks mum's car in.

The sleek blue federal looking car pulls out of the drive and disappears towards the agency. I glance at the clock, me and Ana have ten minutes before Felix gets here with his car. The twins both have a car, but since Carlos drove us to the last day of term in the summer, it was Felix's turn to drive.

I sit down and put a pair of grey converse all-stars on over my just visible grey trainer socks. Ana sits on the sofa next to me, in a light pink silk top with a short black skirt on. I say short, it's shorter than mine and comes to her mid-thigh. Elesa has put Ana's hair into two French plaits which the ends are resting down her back, and reaches about the bottom of the top section of her top, which is just under her bra line.

"We have a club tonight mum." Ana says and I smile. Tonight and Wednesday I do dance. Whereas tomorrow, Tuesday, I do drama, and Friday I do cross country. So as you can see, I'm not that busy...

When Felix pulls up onto the drive, I'm already waiting outside, with Ana running out to beside me, shutting the door behind her. Mum stands in the lounge window, like she always does. Me and Ana get in the car, me in behind Carlos on the right of the car, and Ana in the left.

Carlos and Felix wave to mum "morning Mrs. Patel." They say in unison and mum waves back grinning. Ana looks at me and we both smile, the boys had always done that. Even though she insisted they call her by name. Felix reverses out of the drive and heads to school, the opposite direction to NCIS. Like a fox catching a scent on the wind, I look towards it. We don't live on a base, just in a normal neighbourhood.

It only takes five minutes, so we pull into the car park for the first time in our last year here within four minutes, a new record. After the car is parked, we all get out at the same time, bringing our backpacks on our right shoulder at the same time. Immediately all eyes are on us as we walk to the front doors.

Lian, Max, Noa and William join us and we walk up as a cluster. Felix was right. They were watching us. It was all the younger years watching in admiration, but our year watching in jealousy. Max and William are the twin's friends, but we all get on royally.

Something seems out of place as we walk through the front doors of the school. I look at my friends and then around the buzzing corridor. There's something wrong, I can sense it, but what is it? A smell in the air catches my attention. Bleach and other cleaning agents can just cover it for anyone else, but for me it can't.

The last time I smelt that was when next door's cat died. I stop in my tracks, slightly pale. Navy personnel work here, that I know. I think back to a week ago when dad said there was someone missing from the navy. They weren't in the low ranks either. My thoughts swirl as I make connections in my head.

I open my eyes to see Ana, Carlos and Felix had dragged me into our homeroom. "Spill." Ana says simply, she knows what I do when I'm figuring something out. I glance round seeing Lian, Max, Noa and William chatting separately, and make sure they are too involved in their own conversation to notice ours.

"I smell something." I sign.
"What?" Felix asks, half in disbelief and annoyance.
"Death." The trio exchange a look.
"How do you know it's that?" Ana comments.
"Next door's cat."
"Next door's cat?!?" Felix questions annoyed. Ana glares at him "she was talking to me. Our next door neighbor's cat died and she could smell it. It's the same smell now." I nod to clarify what she is saying.

"This is ridiculous." Felix rolls his eyes and walks over to the others, but I know he won't say anything. "Just ignore the smell for now. Plus ignore him. He got in a grump because mum didn't pick him up some waffles for breakfast." Carlos says before hugging me. I breathe in his scent of the forest and Ana raises an eyebrow at me like earlier. She smirks and I glare at her. Ana stops herself laughing as Carlos stands, putting her poker face back on.

I head out homeroom and go to my locker opposite the door. I put my bag in and grab my history text book and work book from last year. Ana does the same at her locker beside mine. Someone hovers over me to tech their locker above mine. I scrunch my hand in my skirt, then relax as I remember it's Carlos and he won't hurt me.

I look down as I shut my locker, resisting the urge to cry. Only Max, Noa and William out of the eight of us, pull out their books for English. We head through the corridors to our lesson in history with Mr. Levesque. The smell dims as we progress and get to the history room, so it's not near here.

Mr. Levesque is stood at the front by his whiteboard, and since we are two minutes early, so Felix knocks on the door. The half deaf teacher doesn't hear the knock so Carlos knocks on the door twice as hard. Mr. Levesque turns and smiles, so Felix pushes the door open, letting us walk in. "Morning sir." I signed when I saw him. "Morning sir." The others greeted him as one, the differences in voices and accents obvious. He smiled warmly, all the teachers understood my morning/afternoon signs as I taught them with Ana.

The history classroom was as old as the teacher himself. Wooden benches seated five people from the old education system. There was a mix of ancient and recent posters on the walls. Floating in the air was the smell of old tea and old books. This history classroom was for all the senses, not just one.

Obviously, I sat with the others, on a bench on the front left of the classroom. Moving in from the wall it was; Lian, Felix, Carlos, me and Ana. So if I did bring Pascal into school, he will have a spot easily in between me and Ana. Our group had been clever, when we first started we looked at all the tables and got the biggest one. That was so we had more space individually, therefore, Pascal will be comfy too.

Ana nudges me, pointing to the gap "I heard earlier, you done brilliant." She hugs me while we are seated. Carlos looks at me funny "what did you do?" I glance at Ana and smirk and bite the inside of my bottom lip. "Secret." I sign. He regarded me and Ana with a raised eyebrow "since when do you have secrets?" Carlos asks me as other students come into the class. "I have loads." I sign just before Mr Levesque starts his usual ramble.

 

I know, I noticed a couple of bits after I posted (/-\)

 

Bump! Update is almost finished ^_^

 

A/N twelve hours and one and a half paragraphs later I'm finished (/•0) I had to do a few things… So before I get side tracked and have to go to bed, here's the new update!

Chapter three

Carlos kept giving me weird looks, but I ignore it and write notes in a multitude of colours. Ana focuses on listening to what Mr Levesque was saying, but not looking at him, as she was an auditory learner. Felix explains Mr Levesque's rambles to Lian, who just listened, I swear that girl has a huge crush on him. Shame he has a crush on Ana.

Carlos looks at my last flash card "Writing notes on who likes who?" He whispers quietly. My cheeks threaten to brighten as I scribble it out, to replace it with no, got distracted he smirks before looking back to the front. I smile slightly as I go back to drawing the battle field of WWI. This version is only a small version, I look to create a bigger version that covers a section of the wall. I'm looking to get Felix's help as he is doing drawing as one of his electives. Which he will have next.

I tilt my head at the drawing in front of me, covering an A4 sheet already in twenty minutes, capturing all that Mr Levesque has told us. The man himself is travelling between the nine tables in his classroom. I know he is going to stop at ours soon so I go back to paper notes.

Right on cue, Mr Levesque walks in front of our desk, his voice echoing across the old room. Ana scribbles a couple of notes, to remind herself to make audiotapes for revision and about the work. Mr Levesque moves to his spot at the front "I am going to give you an assignment." Numerous groans are heard across the room.

"You have to, in anyway you deem suitable, portray the harshness of world war one. It will be done by New Year, and you can work with anyone in this room. I'm not restricting it to pairs, but to groups of six." Immediately Ana looks at the rest of our table. "You have twenty minutes to come up with your group and any ideas from now." Mr Levesque sits in his seat and let's the chaos unfold in front of him.

"Anyone got ideas?" Lian asks, causing the rest of the group to look at me. I blush slightly "I have this..." I pull out the drawing and hand it to Felix. Ana watched me draw most of it, giving her something to unfold before her green eyes. I watched Felix drink in every detail of the paper, knowing he would like it. "Is that it?" Carlos asks bluntly.

"Don't haste brother. You want to do this bigger, I saw you eyeing up the empty space along the back wall." Felix comments, looking at me. I nod in response and Carlos realises "that, up on the back wall?" He says quietly as our group look at the back wall of the class. We received glares from other groups but they fell on blind eyes, we were just picturing the picture.

Mr Levesque has been watching our group the whole time, so it was no surprise to me, to find him stood the other side of our table when we turned back round. "Anything you guys want to ask?" His old voice broke the surprised silence. I look at Felix and he hands Mr Levesque the sheet, "can we put that onto the back wall?" Felix questions.

We all watch as Mr Levesque admires the sheet in his hand "the tiny details, every word I said on this one sheet. Who done this?" He quietly questions. I raise my hand slightly, so it isn't visible to the rest of the class. He looks at me over his wire glasses, a soft smile on his face. "Kafi, I should of known that. You've always been a brilliant drawer." Felix's jaw dropped slightly "so have you Miller, get over yourself." Our group laugh at Felix.

Mr Levesque lifts the paper up and looks at the sheet, then the wall. He also received a strange look from the class, but they were ignored again. Setting the sheet down in front of me, he nods "do it. You guys can come in whenever you want to work on it. I'm not teaching next so I can get you guys out electives for today."

My friends look at me as if to say thank you. "Okay, we can start planning it then." Carlos says and Mr Levesque starts to walk away when Ana speaks up "sir, I need to talk to you at the end of the lesson about something." Mr Levesque nods in response before walking to another group who wanted his attention.

Ana is up to something. She wouldn't be in on it by herself. Dad could of set her on something. That wouldn't surprise me, dad is too busy to do it himself. I don't question her about it, but my group does "what's that about?" Lian asks. Oh she speaks then... "I just have to ask him about something he said earlier." Ana replies, which seems to satisfy the others.

"How are we going to pull this off?" Carlos questions. Felix and I look at each other before I grab a scrap piece of paper and scribble down, pencils, paints, brushes and time... Lots of that! Carlos can't help chuckling. The sombre undertones remind me of the non-existent childhood he had compared to Felix.

I know Felix is brilliant at things like this, so I let him steer the conversation. "So, as sir said, to get this done we spend spare periods in here to get this done by new year. We will need to pull a few strings to get the wall sanded down and painted white completely," Felix says while Carlos scribbles notes. I look to Mr Levesque and he nods, to say yes you can do that. Felix looks to me and I nod, so Carlos speaks up, "we'll have to pull in a favour from Max."
"Noa can get us paint and a few brushes." Lian comments.

"We'll need more than a few…" Ana mutters quietly, so I nudge her with my elbow, but I notice Lian give Ana a glare. I smirk to myself as I know they both like Felix. Well not like on Ana's part, but that's beside the point. "So then we need to get that sanded as soon as possible." Felix says as he looks at the notes. "They have a free next." I sign, Carlos grins "I'll talk to Max about it."

I smile when Carlos does, he has good reasons to smile now, his childhood is now, not when Felix's was. Well Felix is still in his childhood too due to the pranks he pulls.

"When we draw it, the lines have to be not too light so they fade but not too dark you can see it through paint. Then we layer up different colours of paint to match this drawing here. We have to pull strings with the art department to donate some equipment." Felix comments, observing every line on the paper. When it is finished, it should give the full effects of the war.

Our table remains a collage of paper, pens and pencils compared to all the others when the bell goes. Only Lian picks up her things out of habit. The rest of the class walk out, including Carlos, Felix and Lian, leaving me and Ana behind.

"What did you want to ask Anastasia?" Mr Levesque had a thing for using full names as that was what they were there for. "Dad asked me to do some digging at school, but wanted teachers support first before taking it to the principal." Ana replied, being a historian, this piqued Mr Levesque's interest straight away. "Why would you need to go to the principal?" He responds and Ana glances at me.

I know what this is about now, dad set her on the case of getting Pascal into school with me. "Our family are going to start using Pascal, our border collie, as a speech therapy dog for Kafi. We just need to know if you would be alright with a dog in the classroom." Mr Levesque smiles like I have never seen him before. "Of course I will be, the research into therapy dogs is fascinating. You should look it up sometime. Would he need water and a bed?"

"He won't need a bed, but he will need water."
"Don't keep him on a lead in here. He can room wherever he wants. As long as other students don't mind." Me and Ana smile at each other. "He is very relaxed, so don't worry about him attacking anyone." Ana responds. Mr Levesque nods "border collies always are. Well the humming bird is going to find her voice, good luck Kafi." I blush slightly before signing "thank you." Ana translates when he looks confused "she says thank you."
"You are welcome." Mr Levesque replies.

Footsteps enter the room and I know who it is immediately "C and F." I sign discreetly to Ana. "I take it Lian went to electives." She says aloud. Carlos and Felix stop by the table behind us. Ana smirks as she gives me a high five. The twins sit down "yes she did, and Max is just getting the sander." Carlos responds.

We sit chatting until Max and William walk into the room carrying the sander and other things. "Put it on the back desk. It's for that wall." Felix says standing up. The boys comply and the rest of us join the trio. Mr Levesque walked up to our group, "how long will it take?" He asks. Max looks at the wall "five minutes, ten possibly." Mr Levesque nods "get started then."

Face masks get handed out, so I slip the elastic over my head and the mask covers my nose and mouth. Everyone else does as well and Max start ups the sander, causing everyone to move back. We all watch as Max works on the wall. Mr Levesque watches with an extremely keen eye, pointing out areas Max missed to flatten.

Eight minutes later, the loudness is replaced by a sweeping brush, getting the loose dust off the wall and then collecting the rest from the floor and skirting board. Felix and I run our hands over the surface, the wall was as smooth as it could be and I nod. "Thanks Max." Felix says as Max packs away the equipment.

I peel the mask away from my face, careful not to release the elastic. My skin feels stiff so I crinkle my nose and it feels like normal apart from the condesation from my breath. I notice everyone takes off their mask and react in their own way to the new freedom of their mouth amd nose.

Wandering back to our desk, I look at the drawing, imagining what it would of been like for the people during, and after, the war. It would of been hell. Horrible conditions. Frozen nights. Fireworks actually being shells exploding. I wouldn't of volunteered to help. Not with the voyage across. I look at Mr Levesque, he must of had a grandparent that was there. We all did, but for us, it was great great grandparents. I'm making Levesque sound old. Well he is old, but he doesn't look the age he is…