This first chapter is based off an AU by tumblr user "super-sandri" I believe. Enjoy!

June 2018: There is a new and improved version of this story on Ao3 at: /works/10994220/chapters/24487911

Without Words Part One:

Annie's life was a dull one. For the majority, she had been singled out as weak, a delicate flower that would lose all its leaves if the wind did so much as blow. Up until 8th grade, she had gone to a special school for the deaf. When they found her fit for basic function in society, she was transferred to a public school, where she was not singled out as delicate, but as a freak, a mute. And as Annie stood on campus of the Sina Community College for the first time, she feared it would happen again. And then a girl ran into her.

The projectile's hair was pulled back in a messy brown ponytail, her hands groping about for the three books she had dropped moments before. As she stood her right hand flailed wildly in a gesture of remorse. Her lips moved quickly, but Annie got the message:

"I am so so so sorry!"

"I-It's fine," Annie said, focusing hard on the way she moved her lips.

The girl's mouth fell open in an 'o' of realization. She set her books on a bench and in halted sign language signed: "Hey, my cousin's deaf too. Need help finding your classes?"

Annie shook her head no, but the girl continued to sign.

"My name's Sasha. Where are you headed to?"Her middle and index fingers made like legs and scurried through the air in an improvised sign for headed to.

"English, I think. Name's Annie."She held out a hand for the girl to shake.

Sasha's eyes lit up. Grabbing Annie's hand and dragging her forward, she said something along the lines of "Me too!". Annie's new acquaintance led her to a large brick building on the west edge of the campus. Sasha burst through the double doors, blurring the sign that read English Building. Sasha slowed to a trot, taking great care to check every door for their room number. At the end of the hall was room 104, a surprisingly large lecture hall in reference to the door that was crammed into the corner of the hallway.

The class consisted of around thirty students, two of which Annie recognized. She elected to steer clear of them and followed Sasha to the front row of seats. A short boy with a closely shaved head greeted Sasha with a slightly infatuated grin.

Their teacher, Dr. K. Shardis according to the blackboard, took his spot that the podium and began his hour and a half long interrogation. He went to every student (aside from herself and one or two others) and questioned them about all kinds of things that didn't seem to have anything to do with writing. Sasha ended up transcribing the majority in her notebook, adding in stick figure illustrations when the situation called for it. One included her bashing 'commander talks a lot' over the head with 'the majestic potato of old'. When the class ended the door heaved open, desperate nineteen-year-olds spewing from the torture chamber that was home to their first English lesson.

After that Annie and Sasha parted ways, leaving the rest of the day rather dull in comparison. Boring classes in a boring school with boring people that would be dead in the first five minutes of any horror show. Around five that afternoon, Annie walked into her dorm to find Sasha and a blonde playing cards. Sasha waved her over, dealing another deck.

The dorm room was rather cozy, with two rooms and a living space, complete with a luxury mini fridge with rusted hinges and a microwave from the 90s. The space was tight, so the three girls got to know each other quickly.

Sasha was born and raised on a farm south of Rose. She hunted often and was remarkably fit for someone whose only friend for her adolescent life had been food.

Krista was a girl with daddy issues. When her mother died from cancer, her neglectful father, a wealthy businessman, sent her off to a girls only boarding school. She was flexible, dainty, and had a giant crush on the girl who lived across the hall.

About three weeks into the semester, during lunch, Sasha brought up an inevitable question: sororities. Krista jumped in quickly, mentioning that the frat houses in Sina were open to anyone, unlike any other college in Maria county. There were three main groups: The Garrison, named after their founder, Greg Garrison. The Scouts, who were often leered at with unfriendly puns about getting their cub scout badges. The third and most prestigious was the 'Police'.

"Police? That's it?" Annie wrote. The girls had taken up to passing notes in public. It wasn't as noticeable or as much hassle as sign language.

"Yeah," Krista wrote. "They're the fancy ones. Vocabularies with only five or more syllable words! Too good for 'the' apparently."

"It's pretty stupid for a frat house named after a band." Sasha wrote with her left hand. She was right-handed and the words were sloppy, but she prioritized food above penmanship. Her right hand gripped a plastic fork.

Krista stole back the notebook and scribbled down some more information. "They only except the top twenty in a class. And anyone with rich and powerful parents. They're having an annual welcome party this Friday. Wanna go?"

Annie sat back in the rough plastic chair and contemplated the offer. Then she took the notebook from Krista and wrote decisively: "Yeah, sure."

Annie regretted that decision the moment they walked into the small house. It was just off campus and packed with people. Annie was accosted by the sheer amount packed into the small living room. She didn't necessarily hate people, but she was definitely an introvert. She tolerated Sasha's bubbliness out of necessity, and even found some comfort in the girls company. But this was too much. Hot, sweaty bodies pushed at her from every side, elbowing her in the stomach and stepping on her toes.

Sasha, being the supportive friend that she was, took Annie by the arm and lead her to the first secluded corner she could find. She knew Annie didn't like talking and she doubted anyone there could speak sign language. Krista had abandoned them for a 'girls night out' with Ymir, so the girls stood in the corner, Sasha occasionally sneaking out for food recon.

After the bubbly spokesperson - Sasha called her Hitch - delivered her customary speech (The same one as the year before, and the year before that, and the year before that.) the crowd thinned. Some left completely, others trickled deeper into the house. By then they had been there for almost three hours.

"Bored yet?" Sasha signed, then shot herself with a two barrel finger gun.

"It went from bad to worse to reeking of death." There was a melodramatic flourish in the way she moved her hands. "Boredom hardly describes it." Then someone was tapping her on the shoulder and Annie turned around, recognizing the blond boy from their English class. He signed back, "Yeah, I bet the music sucks."