The Audition
    
“Next,” Mr. Shavi screamed from across the room He was waiting for me to get onstage and give it my best shot. I walked slowly and quietly to center stage. I mentally rehearsed my lines as I stood silent in front of the people who would determine if I would be in the high school play, Peter Pan.
    
“Hello, my name is Timothy Brown,” I told them confidently. “And I’m auditioning for the role of Peter Pan.”
    
I took a step back and breathed three times. A man in a black shirt and black pants approached me and strapped rope onto me so I could “fly.”
    
“Okay, Timothy. Cue the music,” Mr. Shavi shouted.
    
I sang along perfectly and I was “flying” perfectly in sync. I was doing so great that I thought it’d be impossible to fail, but I was wrong. While “flying,” one of my ropes disconnected. I crashed into the background, got covered in navy blue paint, ruined the decoration, and I felt like I broke my hand.

The man who was controlling my “flying” let me down and unhooked me. While on the stage, the music continued to boom. I lifted my head up and saw them all astonished at all the damage I had done.
    
I opened my mouth and continued to sing:

“When there’s a smile in your heart, there’s no better time to start.
Think of all the joy you’ll find, when you leave the world behind
And bid your cares goodbye.
You can fly! You can fly! You can fly! You can fly! You can fly!”
    
The music in the background stopped.
    
I was still drenched in paint. The scenery was still on the floor. The rope was still dangling. The man was still behind me. The only thing that changed was Mr. Shavi. He stood up and started to do a slow clap, and so did the other people sitting around him.
    
Mr. Shavi then told me, “Bravo, boy! Bravo!”
    
Now I’m the leading role in Peter Pan!