13. Twinkles and Clomps

Chapter 13 Twinkles and Clomps Finally it was time. The CD player came on with our "Mice and Elephants" music. The curtain opened. Emma swallowed. Then she tapped across the stage. I leaned on my crutches and crossed my fingers. The music was loud and echoey.

Boy, that was a giant audience. From the stage, it looked like a monster with too many heads. When the tinkly mouse part of the music played, Emma made teensy tapping steps. She even smiled a little.

When the elephant part of the music played, Emma just stood there. Waiting. Since I wasn't there to stomp. To tell you the truth, it did look just a little bit silly. You could tell an elephant was supposed to be on the stage too.

The elephant stomping part stopped. The tinkly music came back. And Emma started dancing her mouse part again. She was tapping her heart out. Being the very best mouse she could be. And I was hiding behind a curtain. Being a chicken. The elephant music came back. Emma stopped tapping. She wasn't smiling anymore. In fact, she looked a little sad. I could hear kids whispering, and I thought about the big boys watching Emma dance all alone. Without an elephant in sight.

I dropped my crutches. I kicked off my sneakers. I shoved on my tap shoes. And I tapped right onto that stage. Emma stared at me. Her mouth made an O shape. I think maybe she was in chalk. That's when you can't believe what your eyes are saying. "I'm cured!" I whispered. "It's a miracle!" The elephant music played on. I clomped like a pro. The mouse music played. Emma twinkle-tapped like she'd been dancing forever.

We tapped and clapped and twirled. I was so busy making noise with my feet, I forgot all about the big boys. I forgot all about my busted body and my broken left appendix. I forgot all about whether tap dancing was just for girls or just for boys or maybe just for everybody. I also forgot all about the edge of the stage. I twinkle-tapped right off that stage like a giant flying mouse-elephant-boy. I probably would have busted my whole body for real. If I'd landed on the floor. But lucky for me, old Mrs. Herman saved the day!