"See you at Open House tonight, Amy," Evelyn shouted from the school bus window. "Don't forget to ask your mom if I can 1 tomorrow!"
"OK!" I called back. I wished I could feel 2 about my first Open House at my new school, but I was worried. What would other kids say when they found out my parents can't 3 ?
That night, all my family went to the school.
"Look at Amy's picture!" Mom said, too loud. She does that when she's excited, 4 she can't hear herself. Some kids turned to stare at us and I wanted to 5 Just then, Ms. Jennings walked over. I introduced my family.
"Oh," she said. "Well, 6 do you say 'Welcome!' in sign language?"
"Like this." I swept my open right hand in toward my body.
Ms. Jennings repeated. "Thank you," Mom said, smiling.
Ms. Jennings looked 7 . "You speak very well," she said.
Mom nodded. "I lost my hearing as a child, after I'd learned to talk."
My classmates were watching us and whispering(悄声说话). Then I noticed Evelyn and her 8 standing by the door.
"I sit over there," I told my family and 9 walked towards my desk without looking around.
"Hi, Amy," Evelyn said suddenly, "I didn't know your parents are deaf."
"Yeah." I couldn't think of anything else to say.
"You can talk to them with your 10 ? That's so cool."
"You think so?" I asked. I exhaled (呼气) 11 .
Evelyn nodded. "It's like a secret code (代码). Would you teach me? A woman in my dad's apartment building uses sign," she said. "Maybe I can communicate with 12 next time I visit my dad."
"Your dad doesn't live with you?" I asked.
She shook her head. "My parents always 13 so they are separated."
"Oh, I…" I'd been so worried about my family being different from everyone else's that I hadn't thought about Evelyn's 14 . "Hey, if you come over tomorrow, we can practice then." Evelyn's eyes were lit up.
I got my parents' 15 . "Mom, Dad," I said, signing, "I'd like you to meet my friend Evelyn and her mom."
