Just us- SBI adoption story (Just me and him book 2)

Chapter 8: barbecue avoidance

Beau's POV:

Mum picked me up from school and drove us straight home. It was finally the last day of year 6 and I was happy to be leaving and going to big school. Mum said I'd make more friends and well Tommy was going to be there so that made it better. I ran my fingers along the bright sharpie scribbled on my shirt. A few of the younger kids had signed it and most of my year group but I mostly just walked about the school corridors quietly trying to get my mental map right. I liked my mental maps, they made me feel better about leaving stuff behind.

And the one I had for my new secondary school was a bit blurry but it made me feel better about going there too. Mum took me in to have a meeting with them earlier this week and we talked about a lot of things. I met Mr Manifold who is going to be the new SENCO in September and I looked around at everything again, having already seen it on induction day. We also talked a lot about how they are going to try and get me and Tommy in the same classes, which is maybe the thing I'm most excited for.

Mum says I'm clever, but I'm a bit worried that everyone is going to be way cleverer than me. All my classmates are at the moment, they can just concentrate on everything better. Mum says my 'executive function' (I haven't worked out exactly what that is yet) doesn't work the same as theirs and it makes some things difficult. They don't seem to understand it either because they just make fun of me for it.

We had a bit of lunch and I watched a bit of tv whilst Mum finished replying to emails. Then I got changed into a jumpsuit that's got this dragon and princess print on it. When I wore it for mufti day, everyone said it was childish but I love it! I mean princesses are awesome no matter what anyone says, and if you don't like dragons then there is something seriously wrong with you. And we bundled back into the car to drive to Tommy's house. I hadn't seen him a while and I hoped he was still my friend.

When we got there, Mum parked the car really awkwardly on their driveway and then rang the doorbell whilst I ran up the ramp. I didn't realise they had a ramp and it was kind of cool. An older boy opened the door, "hey. You must be Beau and Beau's mum?"

"Yea, and please call me Sue."

"Well come on in, I'm Wilbur. Phil's," he paused for a second, laughed and then continued, "second eldest, yep. Anyway, you can leave your shoes on, everyone is out in the garden." We followed him out and Phil came over to us.

"Hey Sue, hi Beau. Tommy's just getting changed but he'll be down in a second. Can I get either of you a drink?"

"Oh do you have anything fizzy?"

"Yea we don't have alcohol in the house at the moment. So there's a cooler down there full of soft drinks, just take your pick." I looked up to Mum with puppy dog eyes.

"It's a special occasion," she sighed, "so yes, you can have a lemonade, here you go." I cracked open the can and sipped it. I promise myself to drink it very slowly so it would last but Phil and Mum just kept talking! By the time I realised, I'd drunk half the can. I was hoping Mum might get distracted enough and then just forget and let me have some more, but I wasn't sure yet.

Techno's POV:

I was hiding upstairs, using helping Mum to get Tommy ready as an excuse for not going downstairs and socialising. Mum was just getting ready herself whilst I sat and read to Tommy in the bath. "He alright?" She asked, sticking her head round the door.

Reminding myself of the conversation we'd had at dinner the other night, I replied, "Tommy, you alright?" He nodded sadly and made it clear he wanted me to continue reading.

"Okay, well I'm just next door if you need me."

"We know Mum!" I protested. I cleared my throat and started again, "Chapter 3: when the wild ones ran in." Tommy rested his hands on the edge of the bath of his hands atop them as he listened to me read.