#shslva

Tee Bee could not speak. She would not be able to speak for couple of months and she went to physical and speech therapy because of her accident. It had taken place 7 years prior, but she was having difficulties. In fact, all Tee Bee could do was sign language, and it seemed like a lost hope to ever hear her voice again.

Tee Bee was on a job. Tee Bee was working. Tee Bee, to be honest, was trying to find the breaker. She tapped her clock nonchalantly, enjoying the tick-tap noise of her fingernail on the hard plastic. She didn't have much long on the clock, but that didn't matter to her. She was trying to find the breaker.

The librarian was talking with some children trying to find a reference book, and Tee Bee was 80% sure that said librarian did not know sign language.

The electrician girl shoved her hands into her sweater pockets, 15 years old and tired. She had left her sethead at home. She didn't wear it on jobs

In her pockets were her tools. They were large, deep pockets, and she could fit most of her toolbox into them. In fact, she didn't need most of her tools for this job.

Tee Bee had nuts and bolts and her screwdrivers and many different tools for her job in her pocket, and the metal was cold against her soft, squishy, human hands. The plastic of her clock hit the stainless steel, clicking and making library patrons turn her way. The breaker would be near the back.

The clicking was in rhythm with her steps, her worn out sneakers she needed to replace, dirtied laces and seams popping.

Tee Bee was almost at the back, breaker in sight. Her work would be done soon.

Although she couldn't see it, her clock had 0 years, 0 months, 0 days, 0 hours, 3 minutes, and 12 seconds left on it.

Tee Bee was at the breaker. She popped it open, surveyed the insides, and stuck her hand in her pocket to fish for the right tool. Her clock tapped against the stainless steel, and her screwdriver fell out of her pocket and onto the ground.

Tee Bee stooped down to pick up her screwdriver, steel shiny but nicked, with it's bright yellow handle.

She touched the yellow handle, but another hand touched the steel.

Tee Bee looked up, and her clock hit zero.

She didn't expect someone to help her, and she didn't expect it to be in a way so cliche. She had known that her clock was going to stop today, but she didn't realize that it would be different from what she expected.

The boy across from her took her surprise as a chance to pick the screwdriver up and hand it to her, a smile on his face.

"Hello," He said, and Tee Bee opened her mouth to speak but her throat was locked and had been for 7 years. What if he would be weirded out by her sign language? People had definitely been scared of her inability to speak before.

Hands shaking, Tee Bee signed hello back, but didn't introduce herself. The boy seemed confused, and Tee Bee gripped the screwdriver in her hand tightly. She shoved it back into her pocket.

"...I'm Dakota. ...Oh. Um. Allaway Dakota, if you want to go like that. Dakota Allaway is the way I-- You know what. Nevermind." He seemed as flustered as she, and Tee Bee was still unsure whether to start signing or keep still. What if she didn't move and he took it the wrong way?

She lifted her hands and signed at him 'My name is Tee Bee.'

Dakota seemed to realize that she was using sign language, and his interest peaked significantly. He tried to sign back, but it was rather rusty, and Tee Bee stopped him, a grin on her face.