The cast took me out of the hospital and to a really cool and really big theater. It was Westerburg High!

"Welcome, Pippa," Christina said, "This is our theater!"

I looked around in amazement. Jordan gave me a whiteboard and black marker.

"So you don't have to sign all the time, Pippa," he said. I grinned.

I quickly told them that I wasn't born mute, and that this would probably end once I calmed down. I explained that my birth mom, who died when I was 7, was deaf, and she taught me BSL so I could communicate with her. My bio dad taught me everything else too.

Christina was showing me around backstage and I looked around in amazement.

"This is awesome, Christina!" I wrote on the board.

She gave me a hug. "You are so sweet, Pippa. Come on, let's get you something to eat."

I ran downstairs and Christina took Jordan to get me some food. As I hummed to myself, I heard a loud and sudden BAM! I started to panic. Someone was hurt. Someone was dead.

I ran out of the theater to a quiet room and tried to calm down. Christina and Jordan weren't here. I don't know who to trust.

Soon Jodie, Frances, and Bobbi ran inside, and I yelled.

"Get away," I shouted, speaking for the first time since the hospital.

Jodie sat down and held out a hand. "It's OK, Pippa. Breathe, sweetie."

I tried, but I couldn't. "Christina?"

Frances gave me a yellow scrunchie. "Here. Mess with this until Christina gets back, OK?"

I did, and for a while my breathing went back to normal, but then the door slammed open and I panicked again.

"Pippa?! Pip, it's Christina. Are you OK?"

I tried so hard to calm down, but the fact that so many people were here made it so hard.

"Pip. Hey. Can you tell me three things you can see?"

I blinked. "Frances' scrunchie, that bag of food, and the floor."

"And four things you can feel?"

"The scrunchie, my hands, my shirt, and your dress."

"OK, good. Now five things you can hear."

I closed my eyes and listened. "Um, someone yelling in another room, your phone ringing, someone singing, my breathing, and a ringing in my ears."

Christina gave me a hug. "Are you OK now?"

I nodded. "Thanks, Christina. What was that sound?"

Bobbi sucked in a breath. "The gunshot. It's a sound effect we use in the show. You must've been triggered by it. How are feeling now, Pippa?"

"Terrified," I admitted, "But a bit better."

Christina rubbed my back. "It's OK, Pip. It's OK."

I gave her a hug. "Thanks, Christina."

She squeezed me and laughed. "You're welcome, Pippa. Come on. I got you some burgers."

"Yum!"

We left the dressing room and I gave Christina another hug.

"Thank you, again, Christina. For helping me."

Christina smiled. "No, thank you, Pippa. For being amazingly you."