"You were fantastic!" Mikayla practically yelled as the trio walked out of auditorium. They had decided to leave after Mikayla practically begged them to stay to watch one of her classmates, Samara, play the ukulele.

"Thanks! You too!" Valentino responded.

"Soooo, what do you do now?" Deserae questioned.

"Now? We wait until Friday, when they will put up posters with the people who made it in!" Mikayla informed. She was one of the most popular kids in school, so she knew almost everything there was to know about almost anything.

"Well, I need to go home and get ready for the most stressful 2 1/2 day of my life. Bye!" Valentino said, rushing to the front entrance because he walked home. He could faintly here his friends as they called to him from behind. 

~Le smol time skip~

"Mom! Dad! I'm home!"

"Why, hello sweetheart! How was your day at school? Oh, and how did your audition go?" Valentino's mom asked him as his father walked up behind her. 

"My day was pretty good! I think my audition went ok, but all I can do know is hope for the best, right?" 

"That's right, slugger! Gosh, I love your attitude. What did I do to deserve such a wonderful son?" Valentino's father praised.

Valentino smiled and eternally, internally, thanked god for such wonderful parents.

~Le time skip~

Friday. The dreaded day had arrived and Valentino, Mikayla, and Deserae walked towards the sheet of paper that held the names of the lucky few that would perform in the Talent show a couple weeks later. They peered at it and read the names carefully, one by one. A couple names down, Mikayla started jumping up and down. Valentino could fantily hear her exclaiming "I got in,  I got in, I got in!" But Valentino concentrated. Down, down, down the list he went, starting to lose hope. But then, the last name on the list he saw it. Valentino, 5th grade.

He celebrated! He jumped with Mikayla, shook Deserae, accepted weird stares from people, and threw his lunch box in the air. He had done it! He had done it! He could do it! 

I will! I will be amazing! I'll conquer my stage fright with an amazing song about acceptance-

And then, he had a crazy idea.