Free Mute (Muted Trilogy Book 1) by Nikita Spoke

telepathy.
    Her phone buzzed. Jill had taken to texting her sister more regularly after she’d found herself unable to speak with even her closest friends, some of whom could speak to each other. It had made things hard on Jill, who seemed to feel like her world was only now really, actually changing. She’d gone from being surrounded by friends to feeling a little like an outcast, and she’d turned to her alone-but-not-lonely sister.
    The teacher is annoyed with us. She can tell some of the kids are Talking, but she can’t prove it. It’s kinda funny, actually. She keeps staring at Jennifer like she can see into her mind.
    So you’re taking the time to text? ;) , Jemma wrote.
    Yeah, actually. We’re just reviewing for the test, and I already know all this. She’s watching them so close that she isn’t even noticing all the kids who have their phones out. Is work still slow?
    Yep. Between the slow morning and my lunch break, I’ve read two books. I even opened back up early after eating. Everyone wants to stay home, she typed.
    So much easier to talk at home. For most people, at least. Did I tell you about Lacey? She can’t Talk to either of her parents. She’s been avoiding them.
    That must be hard , wrote Jemma, remembering her own fears. Hearing the door open, she sent another message. Someone’s here. Gotta go work.
    She had just finished shoving her phone back in her pocket when the new arrival came into sight, a female regular who usually had a smile on her face. Today, the woman looked drained, waving tiredly before heading over to the fiction section. She came to the desk a few minutes later with a stack of romance novels, placing them on the counter and putting her library card on top. The woman forced a smile at Jemma and reached for the tablet.
    “How are you doing today?” she asked with LeVar Burton’s voice.
    “I’m well enough.” Jemma hesitated, then finished typing and went back to checking out the books. “How are you?”
    “I’ve been better.” The woman watched Jemma a moment, indecision written on her face. “Trouble at home. My boyfriend and I haven’t been able to speak.”
    Jemma finished checking out the books and set them aside. “Busy?”
    The woman, Mariah, shook her head. “We can’t Talk. Telepathically, you know. Found out he’s been cheating on me when he could Talk to my best friend, but not me.” Her eyes were teary, and Jemma shifted and winced sympathetically. “We live together, and neither of us has anywhere to go. I would have gone to my friend’s, but that’s not happening now. And we can’t even work through it, can’t talk about it, because we can’t hear each other. And it makes it so very hard to forget.” Mariah sniffed, silently, tears falling, and Jemma rummaged under the counter for the box of tissues she knew were stashed there. The woman managed a smile as she accepted the box, quickly wiping her face and trying to recover. “So I thought,” she continued when her hands were free to type again, “maybe I’d get some books that would let me pretend everything was still okay.”
    She looked at Jemma again and blushed. “I’m sorry,” she wrote. “I guess I just really needed to get that out, and you’re a familiar face and you looked like you might be a good listener, so thank you.”
    “It’s okay. I hope everything gets better for you soon,” LeVar Burton relayed for Jemma. Mariah nodded and collected her books, looking toward Jemma again and waving before moving out of sight and then out the door.
    Alone again, Jemma made a circuit around the library, straightening the almost-perfect section Mariah had been looking through. She took a moment to appreciate her family. Even if she had been unable to hear them, it would have been awkward, painful, but they’d still have been there for each other, would still have been a family. Jemma knew she’d always have people to turn to, even if they didn’t always understand her. She heard