Jaylen glanced over at Brandon. The boy's face was flushed, his arms stiff at his sides. Colton muttered something to him, but Brandon just stared at the piano, jaw tight, lips pressed into a thin line.
"Young man," a woman's voice called out.
Jaylen turned and saw a lady with silver hair and sharp glasses striding toward him: Mrs. Anita Greer, principal of Riverstone Academy. He recognized her from the flyers.
"What's your name?" she asked, her tone brisk but not unkind.
"Jaylen," he said, voice cracking a little. "Jaylen Brooks."
"And where do you go to school, Jaylen Brooks?"
"Franklin Middle School," he answered, feeling every eye in the place boring into him.
Mrs. Greer smiled—a real smile, not the polite kind grown-ups give when they don't mean it. "Well, Jaylen Brooks from Franklin Middle School," she said, turning slightly to address the growing crowd, "you just gave one of the finest performances I have ever witnessed at this event."
Another wave of applause followed. Jaylen ducked his head, cheeks burning.