Chapter Text
Chapter One
Calum's POV
I sigh, letting the music swirl around and absorb into my ear that isn't pushed into my pillow. Not that it matters; my right ear is pretty useless now. Listening to the music made me reminisce to when this all began.
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It started when I was twelve. I suffered from episodes of pressure and ringing in my ears, and dizziness. I pushed through it for several months, hiding it from my family.
It was when I passed out in front of my parents, when the dizziness was so strong I couldn't hold on anymore; that they found out something was wrong.
They took me straight to the ER, and I finally confessed and told the doctors everything that I was suffering. They immediately performed a special hearing test on me, performed an MRI, and traced my medical history through my family.
When it was clear that no one else in my family had been diagnosed with anything similar, and they ruled out any other possibilities, it was then that the doctors diagnosed me with Meniere's disease.
It was kind of a shock to the doctors. We were told that it was rare for younger people to have this disease. It usually affected adults, not teenagers. Unfortunately it was something I would have to deal with for the rest of my life.
They then explained the attacks I would have. How I would have the feelings of pressure in my ear, hearing loss, loss of balance, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness that could last for a few minutes up to a few hours long.
When I went home, everything changed. I had to avoid caffeine and large amounts of sodium. Since there is no cure for the disease, I was prescribed drugs that would help me deal with the symptoms.
I was prescribed tablets for the nausea, vomiting, and balance issues, capsules daily to reduce the amount of fluids my body retains in order to relieve pressure in my ears, and pills everyday to try to help treat the disease overall.
I dealt with the symptoms, took my drugs, and tried to live my life as normally as possible. When I was fourteen, it changed for the worse.
The episodes had been happening, and my right ear was more affected then my left. One day, the episode didn't end, and my family rushed me to the hospital once again.
After more testing, it turned out I was suffering a severe case of the disease, and the reason I was still having the attack was because my hearing in my right ear was disappearing.
It was only a couple weeks after that attack that I completely lost my hearing in my right ear. I had spent those last two weeks doing everything I could with my hearing, knowing I was losing it.
Once it was gone completely in my right ear, I spent the next two months living in the hospital, as the doctors ran test after test. I had a special hearing doctor break the news to me that I was now considered hard of hearing.
It was then I was offered the chance to learn ASL, or American Sign Language, as I was now considered part of the Deaf community. ASL was the only official language for Deaf people, and therefore was something I thought was important to learn. My parents were hesitant with the idea.
When the doctors brought back the results of the testing and broke the news to us that the disease would extend to both of my ears in the future, and that I would be completely Deaf, my parents agreed to let me learn sign language.
I spent the next year and a half bouncing between a special class that taught people and their families how to sign, and the hospital.
By the time the classes were over, my parents, my sister, and I, were all fluent in ASL. I had come to accept that this was the life I was going to lead now, and that I couldn't let it stop me from living my life to the fullest.
I decided to stay in school, and balance out my signing with my talking. My hearing loss didn't hinder my intelligence or my learning abilities, so I remained in normal classes. I was offered an interpreter, but I turned the offer down. I wanted to remain as normal as possible for as long as I could.
Some people looked at me differently. Some people even flat out avoided me, or even bullied me. I didn't care though. I had some friends who stuck by my side, and that was all that mattered.
I had learned to live with my disability, and had come to terms with the fact that some day, I would be completely Deaf.
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It's been four years since I lost my hearing in my right ear. I just graduated high school a few weeks ago. I'm still debating if university is a good step for me or not. Right now, I've been focusing on learning to play the bass guitar.
My older sister, Mali Koa, was super excited when I started learning to play an instrument. She's a singer, and she's damn good at it. I think she's just excited that I'm as into music as she is.
My parents thought it was crazy that I wanted to learn to play the bass, especially because I'm losing my hearing. That was also my arguing point though. I wanted to learn to play the bass before I became totally deaf.
With some convincing and searching, my parents found me this incredible teacher. Tony, my teacher, works at a music store in town. He specializes in teaching people who have hearing problems to play musical instruments.
The most amazing thing is that he's been teaching me how to play bass, but he's also been showing me how to really feel how the guitar works. With focusing on the vibrations and the way music flows from the bass, by the time my lessons are over, I'll be able to play regardless of my impending deafness.
Learning to play bass has honestly been one of the best things that has happened to me since I found out about the disease. I've enjoyed being able to lose myself in the music I play. I've picked up on it fast, but that could be because I've been a music addict all my life.
Unlike other parents, mine let me play my music loud throughout the house. Since no one knows when I'll lose the rest of my hearing, it's just an accepted thing that I play my music loud while I can still hear it.
Right now, my music is playing loudly throughout my room. I have my right ear pressed into the pillow, since there's no point in even trying to hear with it. I have my left ear exposed, letting the music float into it, letting it wash over me.
I have my eyes closed, and I'm letting the music take me away. Sighing again, I squeeze my eyes tighter shut, and quietly sing along to the lyrics of American Idiot by Green Day.
I don't hear anyone open my door. My family knows that now though. They're very used to the rules and routines we set up together once my right ear decided to stop doing its job.
Instead, what does catch my attention is my lights flickering off and on, off and on. I crack my eyes open, and see my mum standing in the doorway, her fingers still on the light switch. She has my attention now, and that makes her smile.
My mum's eyes flick over me, and she takes in that I'm lying on my right side. Of course, she knew I must have had my left ear not buried in the pillow if I wanted to hear my music. But it's routine for her to check if I can hear or not.
I grab the remote next to me, and switch my music off. Mum gives me an approving nod. She knows I can hear her now if she wants to talk, but instead she decides to sign to me.
The first thing she signs she puts her left palm out flat, palm facing the wall, makes a thumbs up with her right hand, tilts it right so her thumb is facing the wall, places the thumbs up on her palm, and bounces it down her flat hand. The sign for lesson.
Next, she puts her palm out flat facing me, as if she was giving a high-five. The sign for your.
After that, she closes her fist together, brings her index finger up in a hook like a pirate, and taps it on her wrist where her watch is. The sign for time.
Finally, she closes her fist together, puts her index finger out, brings it to her forehead (her hand facing inward), and drags it away in a flicking motion. The sign for for.
In ASL order, that was 'lesson your time for'. In English, that translated to 'time for your lesson'.
I smiled and nodded. I formed my hand into the letter 'o' and then moved my hand into a peace sign, titled it sideways and rested my thumb in between my pointer and middle finger to create the letter 'k'. Together, it was the fingerspelled way of saying ok.
I then nodded and mouthed 'thank you' as I didn't particularly feel like signing thank you. I'd have to move my head to sign it properly, and I wasn't in the mood for the effort.
Mum gave me a nod and left to let me get ready. The good thing about my family knowing signing was that it was easy for me to sign in ASL to them, which has it's own grammar rules, or I could do what's called pigeon signing, which is signing everything in English order. It was nice to be able to flick between the two whenever I felt like it.
I lay on my bed for a couple more minutes, letting my thoughts of music tumble around. Finally, jumping off my bed, I grabbed my snapback off the counter, and picked up a couple guitar picks and slid them into my wallet. Putting the wallet into my pocket, I made my way downstairs to grab my car keys.
Seeing my keys in the pile in the hall, I grabbed them and made my way to the kitchen to say bye to my mum. I slid up to her so my left side was next to her, so I could hear her talk to me.
"Have fun, sweetie. Dinners at 7:30. I'm making spaghetti so don't be late. I mean it, Calum Thomas Hood," she said, leaning up to kiss my cheek.
"I wouldn't dare be late, not when you're making my favorite," I teased back, kissing her head before turning and walking to the garage. I turned back at the last second and called back to my mum. She turned and looked at me. "I love you," I said to her.
"Love you, too, Cal," she replied, rolling her eyes but smiling at me nonetheless.
With a grin on my face, I turned and grabbed my bass from next to the door where I left it a couple days ago and made my way out to my car.
I walked out to my black Suzuki Alto and put the bass in the back seat. My car wasn't anything special, it was cheap and easy to run, and that was all that mattered to me.
I climbed in and turned my music on quietly so it filled the air with noise. I liked there to be something in the background, but I liked having most of my hearing for focusing on driving.
I pulled out of the driveway and made my way to the music store downtown. It was only twenty-minute drive, which wasn't too bad at all. I've has my lessons for about a month and a half now. I go three times a week for three hours a session. Sometimes I wish it were longer. Any time I'm playing my bass is the highlight of my day.
Sometimes I like to get to the store early so I can wander around and look at all the instruments. I guess so could say I'm just fascinated by music. I knew all the employees that worked at the store, and they were all welcoming to me.
I pulled up and parked outside of the store a few minutes early. Grabbing my guitar case, I walked into the store with a grin.
Steve, the store manager, gave me a nod as I walked past him. I nodded and sent him a smile back. I said hi to Veronica, high-fived James, and sent a wink at Izzy as I passed them.
I walked into the bass guitar section, and my smile grew. My bass was okay. I'd brought it secondhand from Mali's boyfriend. However, I'd had my eye on this beautiful bass in the store. It was out of my price range, though. That's why I'd been saving up. I walked past it every time I was here to make sure no one brought it.
I think Steve had noticed, because he seemed to be keeping other people from buying it. I really should thank him for it next time I pass by.
I walked up to the black bass hanging on the wall, and traced my fingers over it softly. It really was a beauty. I was so distracted by the guitar in front of me; I didn't notice someone approaching me on my right side.
Little did I know that a boy came up and asked me, "May I help you?" He waited, but I still hadn't noticed him. "Um. Excuse me? Can I help you?" he repeated, more agitated. Of course, I still didn't hear him.
He reaches out and shook my shoulder. Normal people would jump at that. I was used to people doing that though, so I just turned my head casually to the side, realizing someone mist have been trying to talk to me.
"Sorry, I'm deaf in my right ear, what'd you s..." I trailed off when I saw the gorgeous boy next to me. He was tall, really tall. His blonde hair was up in a quiff, and he had a lip ring piercing. His newbie nametag was slightly tilted, and it said his name was Luke. I was immediately drawn to him. Hot damn. I'd never had this happen before, but I was instantaneously attracted to him. Luke. Oh crap, what was I about to get myself in to?