>>12155582>”H-hi.”>So much for being socially superior>”My name is Moona Hoshinova, the one from Indonesia.”>As if there was another one from America or Europe>”Nice to meet you. What’s your name?”>”Anon.”>Moona held out her hand and you took it, shaking like a dead fish.>You both sat in awkward silence for a while>You had to think of something, this was just too uncomfortable>”So… been in America long?”>”Yes. A year, in fact.”>Your brain shut down>You had spent so long being a person unto yourself that you had absolutely no idea how to respond>How could someone who could articulate so clearly in writing barely be able to form a coherent spoken sentence?>”Your… English is good?”>Damn it, Anon>Why the hell did you frame that as a question?>What were you unsure if it was good?>She giggled>”Thank you. I’ve been practicing for a while.”>You couldn’t help but smile>She was so autistic that she had no idea how rude you were being>”Can you say something in Indonesian?”>”Anda orang Amerika sangat konyol.”>There was a nice rhythmic feel to it, almost like drum beats>”What did that mean?”>”It meant ‘America is a lovely place.’”>What it actually meant was “you Americans are so silly.”>”I’m glad you like the country.”>Once again, a tight, awkward silence filled the room>Moona broke the ice>”You’re in my math class right?”>”Yes. It’s almost time to go actually.”>”I was wondering if you could help me. I’m no good at math and you’re the big nerd.”>If you weren’t such an autist yourself, you’d have been offended by the remark>”Uh sure. What do you need help with?”>”After class, silly.”>You didn’t know what it was, but you loved the way she spoke>Like her Indonesian, there was a distinct rhythm not present in natural English speakers, even if it made her difficult to understand at pointsI think that'll be all the stories I juggle for now. I feel confident with these three and shouldn't stretch anymore between stories till I finish them. Hope you like this one too.
