A Different Kind of Sign [Dan]

[SAM HADLEY]

Being new to an area wasn't unfamiliar to Sam. After all, since she travelled with her aunt, she had to get used to adjusting to a new place really fast. New York was a big change though. The cities she had visited before were not nearly this big. Or if they were, they weren't as diverse as this. Also, the people of India, Peru and Uganda seemed... nicer.

Sam wasn't the greatest at trying to make friends, and being thrown into a dorm with someone new didn't really help. Luckily, Harvey and Leah were only a bus ride away, and she babysat her niece Becca some nights. The free time that would normally be occupied by friends was quickly filled by reading and helping at a shelter that Sam found just moments after arriving in New York. She volunteered a large majority of her time to helping watch kids, collecting and sorting food items and washing clothes. And it helped her feel a little more at home.

Some days, like today, she had extra time after she finished. They had sent her home early, assuring her that there wasn't much more to be done for the day, and they would call her if they needed her. So she spent some time wandering around. She was blessed with an acute sense of direction, and she wasn't worried about walking around by herself, despite her brother's warnings.

Pleased to find something familiar, she stepped into a n understated restaurant selling Indian food. After she paid for her sindhi biryani and tandoori, she started to head back in the direction of Baum. And along her way, sitting on the curb, she found a boy.

He was fairly well-dressed and he had shaggy brown hair. If he stood, she was sure he'd have at least a few inches on her. But currently, he was sitting, looking rather panicked.

Now, despite her servant's heart, Sam knew that she should be wary of certain people. And New Yorkers were no exception. But this kid gave off a good vibe, and so she knelt beside him, her blue eyes concerned. Her tone was low, so as not to startle or embarrass him.

"Excuse me.. Um.. Are you alright?"

Outfit

[DAN KAPLAN]

Dan could feel his heart thudding against his chest. Oh dear God, he swore on Jesus Christ’s man-tits that if he ever caught this tall pale dude running away with his phone, he was going to beat him senseless. He was going to twist the guy’s little arms off his body, and then he was going to punch him in the face. Really hard. Like, super macho boxer-dude hard. #OhGod, how had he ever let this happen? How had he been so fucking stupid as to leave his wallet on a park bench while he’d been using the porta-potty? Okay, the porta-potty in itself had been a pretty bad idea in the first place, but #comeon. The nearest legit bathroom had been at the Burger King like, six blocks up, and when a man had to go, a man had to go.

But leaving his wallet on a bench in the middle of stupid Central Park for some wackjob pedophile to come snatch up and walk off with? Dan, you absolute moron. He continued to pursue the running guy, through a side alley and onto Broadway. He didn’t even know where he was right now, or how to get back to Baum, but he didn’t even care. His phone was more important. His phone was most important. His phone was more important than anything.

That dude has my wallet! Help, somebody help![/i] Dan signed vigorously at the crowds that surrounded him, on the off-chance that one of them could understand it, but nobody even glanced over. A random kid running down the sidewalk waving his hands around was probably commonplace around here. #Bastards, he couldn’t help but think anyway.

And suddenly, he wasn’t sure where he was supposed to be going. Oh, #shit. Where had the #phone-thief guy gone? Okay, okay, he had to be around here somewhere. Dan had been close on his tail literally two seconds ago. Oh man, had he ducked into a store or something? But Dan would’ve seen that, right? It wasn’t like...okay, he really was gone.

Dan sank onto the ground, leaning against the nearest building. He probably looked homeless, but whatever. He could’ve used some extra cash anyway. #yolo. #OhJesus. Okay. He could handle this. Deep breaths. Calm down. Okay, the deep breaths were definitely not working.

Oh God. My phone, my phone, my phone, my phone, my phone…

Then he noticed that some girl was standing over him and talking to him. #uh. #notthetime. He reached for his pocket instinctively, before remembering that his phone was currently in the dirty hands of some burglar guy, and that he was completely and utterly helpless. #awesooooome. He felt his face grow red with embarrassment. I can’t talk, and some creepy guy stole my phone. Can you help me? But of course, no matter how hard he thought the sentence, she wasn’t going to hear it, an all he could do was sit there and shake his head vigorously.

outfit

[SAM HADLEY]

Settling onto the concrete beside him, Sammy's brows furrowed. When she had spoken, this boy hadn't given any implications that he had heard her, and when he looked up, he had looked surprised. Observing the brown haired boy, she noticed that he looked rather frantic. His eyes darted and his fingers went to his pocket, as if looking for something. He shook slightly, his breath ragged, like he had been running.

"Is there something I can help you find?" She tried, but he just stared at her, looking lost and embarrassed. She could relate to this feeling. Perhaps he was lost, or had lost someone. That would be enough to terrify anyone! She thought briefly of losing Becca in this crowd and shuddered. How terrible!

Gazing into his eyes, her forehead creased with worry. He looked entirely helpless, like a lost puppy. It was as if he was trying to communicate something to her with his eyes, with his mind, rather than with his voice.

Sammy reached out and put an comforting hand on his arm. A gentle smile graced her lips. She tried to put every ounce of warmth that she could into her blue eyes, hoping that he would at least calm down enough to let her assist him.

"It's okay. I can help you. My name is Sammy. Who are you?"

As a habit from the days working at shelters back home, her hand moved with her mouth as she said her name, spelling it out in sign language. People never tended to notice, and it was always good to continue such a practice, because it didn't alway come easily to her. She had to stay active with certain things, so they stuck. You never knew when you might need it.

[DAN KAPLAN]

Her lips were moving, and he did his usual thing of trying desperately to read them, but no luck. He could see the word “thing”, which had a pretty distinctive mouth-shape-thing that was pretty easy to pick out. But yeah, not exactly helpful. #atall.

#fuck.

She was probably offering to help him, or something like that, because her face looked concerned, and wow, he definitely just looked really, really rude right now. This nice little lady was offering to help him #mostlikely and he was just sitting here shaking #idiot. Sorry, sorry, sorry he thought forcefully at her, as if that were going to assist him in any way with this awful interaction. #Jesuschristonaboat. Not only did he not have a phone, but he was now super embarrassed because he probably looked like an antisocial, ungrateful little fuck to this very nice, helpful #goodsamaratin lady. #awesomeday.

And then, suddenly, something caught his eye. Wait…#no…that couldn’t possibly…could she really be…signing? At him?

Wait, that was totally too good to be true. There was no way…#howonearth? Was he being trolled or something? Was he actually on Pun’kd or something? Was Ashton Kutcher going to jump out and start screaming at him as soon as he started signing back at her? Well, he took his chances.

Hi. I’m Dan. His hands were still shaking from the trauma of his empty pockets, but by clenching his teeth, he was able to steady them enough to not look like a total #amateur. I’m really sorry. I… His hands faltered. #shit. How should he go about this? Social interaction without the protective screen of his phone was totally not his thing #internetprobz. Some guy ran off with my phone, and I don’t really know where I am. I’m not from around here, and I just… He felt himself starting to shake again, but managed to steady himself with deep breaths #meditationftw. Wow, this was just getting more awkward with every minute that passed. #uh.

[SAM HADLEY]

It dawned on her then and she sighed to herself. Of course! It should have been obvious to her. Wasn't she supposed to be the observant one? He was deaf.

The boy looked a little relieved and began to sign at her. Now, Sammy wasn't fluent in ASL. It was a little difficult for her to pick up, which was why she practiced so much. But he needed her help and she was going to do her very best. Sammy's eyes were locked on his fingers, her light brows drawn together, trying intensely to understand.

Hi. I’m Dan.

Well. That was helpful. She smiled a little. He looked like a Dan. She picked up "really sorry", but then he cut off, as if he was unsure of how to proceed. Sam nodded in encouragement.

guy.. ran.. with.. my phone.. don't.. really.. know.. where.. I am.. not.. around.. here..

From what Sam could piece together, and she didn't like to brag, but her gut was usually right, Dan had gotten his cell phone stolen. And, like she had thought, he was now lost.

Smiling her brightest, sunshiny-est smile, she signed back at him.

I can help. Where do you live? I will bring you home.

She stood up, looking around to get her bearings. Oh yeah, she could navigate this place. Couldn't be too difficult, right? Baum was north of here, towards that building that looked like teal colored glass. And to the west was where her brother and sister-in-law lived. At least she could figure out what direction they'd be heading in.

Remembering her manners, she looked at Dan.

I'm Sammy. Nice to meet you.

She held out her hand to him. Since he couldn't exactly call for her in a crowd, and he couldn't hear her if she yelled, it would be best for them to stick together.

[DAN KAPLAN]

Dan couldn’t even express how much more comfortable he felt, all of a sudden.

His phone was like a security blanket to him #shutup, so losing that was obviously a bit like losing his anchor. #deepmetaphors. Without it, he was powerless, powerless to be anything but a sitting duck in the hearing world. His mom had been encouraging him to start bringing a notepad around in his pocket, but he wasn’t sure if they even made notepads small enough to fit in his pockets. And even if they did, he had no clue where to get one. #firstworldproblems.

But when his eye caught the signing, it was like light poking through the clouds or something. Somebody here knew him. Somebody here could help him. He’d found a lifeline again, something to cling to. #lowkey.

I can help. Where do you live? I will bring you home.

#OhGod, this woman was an angel. He didn’t even care that her signing was rather clumsy. She was like, the center of his universe right now. He felt like a 12-year-old at a One Direction concert. Take me home to Baton Rouge where I can talk, he wanted to sign at her, but instead he sniffed, pursed his lips, composed himself as best he could, and signed smoothly Baum Academy. Upper West Side. He paused, racking his brains, trying to remember what the street his dorm was on was called. 62nd and something. Could you…help me?

#Wow, he was so pathetic. He hated being this pathetic. But it wasn’t like he had a choice.

He shook her hand. Are you…can you hear? He’d never been able to figure out how to ask that question without sounding awkward. Still, it would have to come out at some point. He’d seen her talking, but some of his old friends at LSD had been able to talk. He’d always wondered how they did it. Dan barely understood what talking was, except that it was like signing, but not. #cleardefinitions. Why else would she know ASL though? Unless she was like, some professional childhood person. A psychologist or something. #Yeah.

Could you help me find my phone and stuff? His signing was more tentative here. How is she supposed to find your phone, Dan? #idiot. Or…find someone who could?