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

Chapter 43: take your bow

Tommy's POV:

I was spinning round, getting rid of all the energy possible before I had to stand and sign our last rehearsal of Viva La Vida. The next time we performed it, it would be in front of all the parents. I wasn't nervous yet but I had a funny feeling in my stomach that I might get nervous.

We had to bring in our costumes for today. We had red t-shirts we had to wear for viva la vida. White shirts, like my school shirt, for when I grow up and a green top for when I play the alien in my scene. I haven't got anything green so we had to buy something after we went to eat food yesterday. Phil spent the rest of the night, sewing black fabric onto it to make it look like an alien face. I think it looks good.

James helped me get my red t-shirt on and I went to stand on the right side of the stage where I stand for the performance. The music started and I couldn't help myself from stimming along. James said it was okay as long as I remembered to sign as well. 

Viva la vida had such a good beat and it is definitely one of my favourite songs at the moment. Beau was stood on the other side for this song, but I'd heard her singing it all week and she sounded really good. She was a good singer and I wanted to be able to play music with her and my brothers one day. Mumbo said if I kept practicing, I'd get there eventually.

We finished the song and everyone clapped and cheered. Later, the crowd would do that for us and we'd get to do a bow! Just like Wilbur when he was in his school show! I still thought they were stupid and looked funny but James promised me that everyone would be doing it and it would look better all done together.

Before break time we practiced when I grow up. Some people had their own part in this song but we all song the chorus. I knew the signs for the chorus and the very last line of the song.

Each of the verses we split up line by line and each person sang one or two lines depending on how it worked and who could sing what. In the very last bit, a few of us end up stood at the front (there's a lot of dancing and movement that gets everyone around the stage throughout the song) and I'm one of them. I don't do a lot of the dancing because my brain doesn't let me work that way. I can dance, I just can't do organised, proper dance moves. So I sit on the front bit of our little stage with my legs hanging off (I like swinging them) and throughout the song people come and sit with me or give me high-fives. Amber does all the dancing and she's really good at it. And Little O whizzes around stage in her wheelchair which looks really cool and a bit fun.

James sits next to me on the stage and he's got a red shirt that he wears. And he's got a white shirt for later. And when I do my acting bit he's got a cardboard bit he stands beside so he's there if I need him but the rest of the time he's hiding behind my spaceship. It looks really cool! We made it whilst the rest of the kids practiced their dancing throughout the week. I'm very proud of it.

Once finished, including my part when I sign "and that's not right!" Everyone was happy again and we went off for break time. After this, we'd all practice our acting scenes, then have lunch and then the families would come. I was excited for my brothers to all see my perform and Ma and Phil. It was going to be really good.

I took back my packet of crisps from James, who had opened them for me. "Hey, I think you're missing a word?" I looked at him with a confused expression.

"Thank you." Beau whispered to me.

"Thank you." I immediately signed.

"Well done and good reminding Beau. Here you go." I began eating, thinking about how weird it was that human beings feel funny when another person doesn't say the right word at the right time. I wanted to talk to Techno about it, he'd understand that. He would know exactly why saying thank you was necessary but stupid. And he'd be able to explain it to me in a way that made sense.