Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses ableism.

Melody sees herself walking confidently up to a podium. In the crowd, she sees her family, her neighbors, and even her camp crush, Noah. She addresses the crowd and offers to tell them about the trip that changed her life. As she begins to dance, the dream begins to crumble, and she wakes up, recalling that she cannot walk, talk, or dance.

Melody takes in the gray weather outside and reminisces on her time at summer camp, where she learned to paint and express herself. She notices the music of the raindrops falling and senses colors and feelings in the sounds around her. She then directly addresses the readers, telling them not to feel sorry for her; although she can’t talk, she still has a lot to say and will express herself.

Melody explains that she has a device called a Medi-Talker that she has named “Elvira.” Melody presses buttons on Elvira using her thumb, and the device speaks full sentences, allowing her to have ordinary conversations with her family and friends. Melody’s only issue with Elvira is the sound of the voice; she thinks it should sound like Beyoncé.