>>> Empty Toothpaste

Why does this keep happening?
I squeezed harder but nothing was coming out. It was completely empty. Frustratingly, I threw the empty toothpaste container away. I wanted to yell at whoever was using up all my toothpaste, but of course in my situation I can’t really yell. I can’t actually talk either so the only way I could voice my concern was write it down.
“Joan,” my name was squealed out by pink headed Uriko. She put her hands on my shoulders, grinning before realizing I wasn’t in the mood. She backed off. “Joany, what’s wrong?”
I hated when people asked me questions. Do they really think I can answer them? Sure, maybe if I had my notebook but I obviously don’t. And sign language? Forget it!
Maiko, Uriko’s older sister, sneaked past her sister and me to get to the bathroom sink. “Morning Joan,” she picked up her toothpaste and tried to squeeze it out onto her toothbrush. “Now that’s odd…”
“What’s wrong,” Uriko tried to peak over her sister’s shoulder.
“My toothpaste is empty.”
So I wasn’t the only one who was having their toothpaste used?
I tapped Maiko on the shoulder and pointed to the waist bin with my empty toothpaste in it and then pointed back to myself, hoping she understood what I meant.
“Yours got used up too?”
I nodded. I’m so glad Maiko has the mental capacity to interrupt simple things because Uriko never would have gotten it.
“Oh my gosh,” Uriko waved her arms in a frenzy, “There’s a toothpaste bandit!”
“Or someone who just happened to run out,” Maiko quickly added, “But we should at least tell Tabitha or Baxter.”
I wanted to tell her “good idea” but all I could do was nod in agreement.
However, by the time we found Tabitha and Baxter, the mystery of the empty toothpaste containers was already solved. Sitting in the living room was a canvas painted with various toothpastes and very thrilled Koi.
“Isn’t it awesome,” Koi danced around the campus.
“But what about my minty fresh toothpaste,” Trevor barked.
“Or my damn citrus flavor,” Sindy stamped her foot.
Monica, our group therapy leader, just laughed. “Looks like we’ll be going on a toothpaste shopping trip.”

Characters:
Joan, Uriko, Maiko, Koi, Trevor, Sin, and Mocia from Tissues for Issues