"I think we should go now," Sam whispered to Maya.
But Maya was not ready to leave yet. Something inside her was starting to fight back against Victor's cruel words. She thought about all the hours she had spent practicing at the community center. She thought about all the beautiful music she had learned to play. She knew she was good at piano, even if she did not have expensive teachers or a fancy piano.
"I may not be able to see," Maya said, her voice getting stronger, "but I can hear music in a way that most people cannot. I can feel every note and every emotion in a piece. Music is not just about technique. It is about heart and soul."
Victor smiled in a way that was not nice at all. "Heart and soul," he repeated mockingly. "How sweet. But heart and soul do not matter if you cannot play the notes correctly. And you cannot learn to play notes correctly without proper training and natural ability."
The crowd was watching this conversation like it was entertainment. Maya realized that tomorrow, videos of this humiliating moment would probably be all over the internet. Everyone would see the famous pianist making fun of the blind girl who thought she could play piano.
Maya woke up the next morning feeling terrible. She had not slept well because she kept thinking about what Victor Holbrook had said to her. His mean words kept playing in her head over and over again. Maya had always believed in herself and her music, but now she was starting to doubt everything.
Sam was already awake when Maya came out of her bedroom. He was sitting at the kitchen table with his phone in his hand. He looked worried and angry at the same time.
"Maya," Sam said carefully, "I need to tell you something. Someone recorded what happened last night with that pianist."
Maya's heart sank. She had been afraid this would happen. "Is it on the internet?" she asked quietly.
"Yes," Sam said. "It's on many different websites and social media pages. Lots of people have watched it already."
Maya sat down next to her brother. She felt sick to her stomach. Now everyone in the world could see how Victor Holbrook had humiliated her. Everyone would know that a famous pianist thought she was stupid for dreaming of playing classical music.