Hugo awoke in a cold sweat the next morning, the memories of his nightmare slowly fading away. The blood and the noise were still clear in his mind and every time he closed his eyes, flashes of moss green eyes haunted him. He knew from the second he'd woken that it wasn't going to be a good day.

He knew the second later that was going to have to go to class anyway. His father muttered curse words when something clattered to the floor in the kitchen. If Hugo wasn't changed and in the loungeroom in fifteen minutes, his father would be in his room to force him to get up. Hugo wasn't in the mood for his father's words and his expectation of a reply and got out of bed with a groggy sigh.

His father raised an eyebrow at him when he eventually stumbled into the kitchen and flicked on the kettle. They had the same blue eyes and blonde hair that stuck up at odd angles, but Hugo had his mother's soft face and pale skin. Freckles dotted his cheeks in a messy pattern and ran the length of his button nose. Both his parents used to remark that it was like looking in a mirror.

"Good morning," his father said. Hugo signed his response, his hands sloppy with sleep.

His father said nothing else, only watched as Hugo poured himself a cup of coffee and sipped at it like it was something sent from the gods. His books and laptop were already packed in his bag, ready for his class. He had two to go to, one a lecture, the other a short tutorial class.

"What time will you be home tonight?" his father asked.

Hugo met his sharp gaze. "The same time as usual," he replied, putting his mug on the bench so he could sign properly. His father had a bad habit of talking to him when he had his hands full as if that would make him start talking again.

His father sighed and Hugo dreaded whatever words were to spill from his mouth. "One day I hope you will speak again," his father said. His eyes dropped to the dirty tiles. Hugo would have to clean those too. "You don't need to be so silent. You won't get very far in life without talking, you know that."

He'd gotten pretty far already without speaking. He wasn't going to start now. He didn't tell his father that though, it would only start a fight. It wasn't as bad as it usually was, but it still annoyed him to no end. The anger was like fire in his gut. His father hadn't been there, he hadn't seen what Hugo had seen. If he had, then he would understand why he didn't talk, perhaps he would be mute too.

His father sighed again and ran a hand down his wrinkling face. There had been a time, when Hugo was young, that his father had looked youthful and handsome. Now, he looked tired and worn. Hugo could imagine that he looked the same. He knew of the purple bags under his eyes that had become a permanent feature of his face. How much older did he look?

He waved goodbye to his father, who barely spared a glance at him in return. He probably didn't hear him. It wasn't just Hugo's voice that had grown quiet, everything he did had as well. His steps were almost silent. There were mornings where his father jumped when he walked into the room.

Headphones in ears once again, Hugo took the busy train and got off at the station not far from the university campus. People crushed against him as they filed down the busy paths and drifted into lecture halls and classrooms. The tiny space he had and the constant pushes and shoves from people around made his heart flutter and his stomach ache with uneasiness. He should have stayed home, but he wasn't in the mood for the fight that would come with it.

He breathed in loudly when he was finally able to get more than a meter of personal space. He stood outside the lecture hall and ignore the strange looks a few of the people sitting around gave him. If they'd been out there, they would have understood. With a shake of his head, he walked into the hall and blanched.

Just about all the seats were full. It was one of the few days where everyone in the course decided to show up. He grabbed the nearest available seat, tucked in the middle of one of the rows and he had to push past tired people's legs. Most would think him impolite for not apologising as he did so, but all he cared about was getting to a seat.

The woman to the left of him gave him a small smile when he sat, but, much to Hugo's relief, didn't try to talk. The lecture started not long after he sat and he spent the hours doing what he always did, typing away on his computer as quietly as possible. There would be an assessment soon and he wanted to do his best on it.

His computer was nearly dead by the time the lecture ended. He had an hour and a half to sit around and wait for his next class, but he figured he'd be waiting that long just to get out of the hall. Everyone was trying to push their way out of a single set of doors. He'd wait until everyone else was gone before he moved.

"Seems like I'm not the only with the smart idea," a feminine voice said next to him. The woman to his left smiled again when he looked at her. "I think we'll be here a while though."

He didn't say anything, of course, he didn't. He stared at the woman with wide eyes but all she did was smile. She was pretty, dark skin and even darker eyes. Her hair was shaved close to the skin and her smile was bright and cheerful.

"Not much of a talker, huh?" she asked. His stomach ached as nervousness overwhelmed him. They thought him rude when he didn't reply but they wouldn't understand sign language, they never did. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you."

She didn't sound offended. She sounded genuinely apologetic. That was different from usual, she didn't sneer or grumble under her breath, she just smiled. He lifted his hands, hoping that while she wouldn't understand sign language, she'd at least understand why he didn't reply. "Don't be sorry," he signed. "It's not your fault."

Her eyes and smile widened. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "You're deaf? I understand sign language." She signed along with everything she said.

For the first time, he smiled back. "I'm mute," he replied, and she dropped her hands sheepishly. "I'm Hugo."

"Hugo?" she repeated. He nodded at her and she stuck out her hand for him to shake. "I'm Renee." Her hand was warm in his own, comforting. But still, there was nervousness in his stomach. He didn't understand what had prompted him to try and talk to her, maybe it was her smile, maybe it was the nightmare that had woken him that morning. Either way, he couldn't back out now.

The lecture hall was finally empty and the pair stood with matching sighs of relief. They left the room in silence and the whole time Hugo was sure he was meant to say something. But he hadn't talked to anyone who wasn't his father or his boss in a long time. He didn't know what he was meant to say. Was there anything to say?

"So, I've got sometime before my next class. What about you?" she asked. Hugo nodded and shivered in the cool breeze that came in from outside. "Do you want to get some lunch before then?" He hesitated. He didn't know Renee, who knew where she would take him. What if he said something he shouldn't? He didn't know how to talk to people.

His hands shook a little from the anxiety coursing through him, but he nodded nonetheless. Renee's smile and kind eyes were too nice to turn down. Maybe it would be good to spend a little time with something who wasn't twice his age, even if they never spoke again.

"I know a nice little sandwich place just outside the campus if you're willing to walk that far," Renee said cheerfully. Hugo nodded in agreement. He wasn't fussed about where they went. If he was being honest, he wasn't that hungry, which was normal when he was having a bad day. He'd order something to keep up appearances, but he probably wouldn't finish it.

The little sandwich place was nice. It was well lit and filled with calming plants. There weren't many people either, which was a bonus. He didn't have to freak out about crowds and people too much. It was a better day than he had expected, but that didn't stop the anxiety from flowing through him. He didn't even remember his nightmare and it still lingered within him.

Renee never stopped smiling at him. It was getting a little disconcerting if he was being honest, but he wasn't going to say anything about it. She was being kind, he wouldn't stop her from doing so. The pair ordered their sandwiches and sat at a table in the corner. He picked at the fillings while Renee wolfed down her packed meal.

She stopped with an audible swallow and stared at him. "This must seem a little sudden, huh? You look kinda nervous," she said. He hesitated for a second, watching the kind look in her eyes. He nodded again. "I'm sorry. I have a really bad habit of just talking to strangers. You seemed nice enough though. I guess if you didn't want to have lunch with me, you would have said no."

He lifted his hands from the table, thinking again and again about the right thing to say. "This is different from what I usually do, but I don't mind," he signed, smiling shyly at her. "I'm not that hungry though. This wasn't really what I was expecting when I woke up this morning."

Renee shrugged. "It's the best way to make friends in uni. Everyone is so busy with coursework that no one bothers to talk to anyone else," she replied. Another bite of her sandwich came and went before she spoke again. "I always try to talk to the people sitting next to me. Can't have my only friend be my roommate. I've just never gotten this far before." She laughed and it sounded like wind chimes.

She was different from anyone he had ever met, even his old high school friends. It was the first time in five years he had a chance to make a new friend, he didn't want to mess it up. But there was a voice in the back of his head that screamed at him to run before he got too far in. The last time he'd had friends hadn't ended well. But that was five years ago, surely people were different now.

He could get up and leave. He could avoid Renee in their classes and they'd never have to talk again. But memories of his nightmare flashed in his mind, shots of blood and screaming. Memories of his panic attacks and suffocating loneliness came with it. This was his chance. All he had to do was take it.

His hands moved before he could properly make his decision. "It's a first time for everything," he signed and that was that. He still felt too sick to eat all his sandwich, but he'd wait until she'd finished hers. "How are you liking university so far?" It was the first question that sprang to mind. He wasn't the best at small talk. He had no idea what he was doing, but from the smile on Renee's face, she didn't seem to mind. She could probably tell he was inept at talking as it was.

"It's good. Not what I expected, but good," she replied, her fingers drumming against the wooden table. "I'm planning on becoming an English teacher so it's not like I can just drop it. What about you?"

"Novel editor," he signed. Her eyes widened at his words. Not what she'd expected. It usually wasn't. Most people who wanted to be around novels wanted to write them, not fix them up for publishing. But he enjoyed editing more than he enjoyed writing, oddly enough.

"That's really cool!" she exclaimed and it sounded so genuine. When he'd told his father what he was going to do in university he wasn't happy, but Hugo had argued that at least he was finally going. Renee glanced down at his food. "You're not going to finish that, are you?"

He shook his head and pushed the plate towards her. She thanked him and dug into the food once more. He held back a laugh, it wasn't polite to laugh at someone while they ate, but he'd never seen someone that excited for food before. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. I probably shouldn't have forced you to buy something if you weren't hungry," Renee said and smiled at him. "Besides, I'll eat anything. I get so hungry." Now Hugo laughed and still, he made no noise. His laugh had always been silent. His body shook and there was a big grin on his face, but he was completely silent.

He checked the time on his phone. They still had a little under an hour before their next class. It felt so far away and he had no idea how to pass the time. He waited in silence for Renee to finish her food, unsure of what else he was supposed to talk about. There were so many questions he wanted to ask so he could get to know her better but didn't want to burst out them suddenly.

She checked the silver watch on her wrist when she was done. "We still have a while before class. Want to come with me to the library? I need to find a book to help with one of the assessments," she asked. There was still a smile on her face. It never seemed to leave. She was so kind and he hadn't talked to anyone in so long. For some reason she wanted to talk to him, so why not just go with it. He nodded, a small smile pulling at his cheeks, and followed her from the tiny cafe.