71. The Seventh Juror

His family is already loaded, though, he added disapprovingly. It's not like he needs the

prize money. Julian leaned close to Aiden and whispered, That's Miss Fortenberry's

nephew.

Be careful what you say around this guy. Just as Julian finished administering this

warning, Chad broke through the crowd and gave Aiden a hearty pat on the back. That

was quite the performance there, buddy, he said in a booming, jovial voice.

Aiden furrowed his eyebrows. He hated this guy already. Chad smiled broadly.

Hey, man, can we talk? Chad motioned with his head to the corner of the room where

there weren't so many people around. Clearly, he preferred to talk in private. Aiden

didn't get a good feeling from this guy, but was curious to know what he wanted, so he

nodded and followed Chad to the secluded corner.

Once he'd confirmed that no one was within earshot, Chad dropped the smiling act and

spoke with surprising directness. You've got a great voice. I'd like you to sing for me at

the competition.

He paused, searching Aiden's eyes for understanding. Aiden gave no outward sign of

recognition. You'll be behind the curtain, Chad explained, and I'll be on the stage.

No one will know that you're the one singing. Aiden couldn't believe Chad's boldness. I'll

pay you, of course, Chad added.

How much do you want? Just say the number, and it's yours. Aiden was shocked. It was

hard to believe that someone would seemingly, with no shame, declare his intention to

flat-out cheat during a competition.

Could Chad really think that he could buy him off? It was insulting to say the least. Sorry,

I can't do that, Aiden said coldly. Chad seemed to be taken aback by this answer.

Is that so? he said. He was accustomed to having his way as long as he set the right

price. That's right, Aiden replied.

Chad's eyes narrowed, and his mouth formed a thin line. Do you know that my aunt is

one of the five board members of the school? Chad raised his eyebrows and leaned

forward. If you get on her bad side, well, let's just say she can make your life a little

difficult.

Aiden didn't appreciate being threatened. He chuckled and replied without hesitation. I

don't understand.

What's the connection between Miss Fortenberry and me? Chad wasn't sure what to

make of this. Was Aiden just playing dumb, or was he daring him to spell things out more

clearly? He considered Aiden for a moment. Well, you know, in private schools like Otis, the board members have a lot of power.

If a student accidentally offends the school board, it can be really bad for them. They

might even be expelled. Interesting, Aiden said, affecting a total lack of comprehension.

Okay then, I guess I'll be on my way. Chad took a deep look at Aiden. You've got balls, I'll

give you that.

He looked around and let out a defeated sigh. All right then, I'll see you at the

competition, I guess. With that, Chad turned on his heels and quickly exited the room.

After Chad left, Chrissy and several other people approached Aiden. What was that all

about? she asked. Chad didn't look very happy, that's for sure.

Aiden could tell that Chrissy was on his side, no matter what. They were part of a team

now. But seeing that Aiden and Chad weren't on good terms was worrying to Chrissy.

By all accounts, she had a right to be worried. Julian was concerned too. He walked over

to Aiden and issued another warning.

You'd better be careful with Chad. He looked directly into Aiden's eyes to emphasize how

serious he was. He usually gets his way with things.

There was a girl last year who tried to stand up to him, and she ended up dropping out of

school. Don't worry, he can't hurt me, Aiden said with a reassuring smile. He wasn't

worried about Chad or Miss Fortenberry, or any of it.

He had bigger things in his life to worry about. If Chad beat Aiden's group in the

competition fair and square, he would hold no resentment against him. But if Chad

decided to play dirty, that was another story.

Aiden decided not to think about this now, but to cross that bridge when he came to it.

Despite Aiden's confidence, Chrissy felt anxious about the situation. If Aiden had

offended Chad in some way, this wouldn't be the end of things.

Chad always had the last word. Julian was also unconvinced by Aiden's reassurances. It

saddened him to think that this new friend of his might end up having to leave Otis High,

and they had only just started getting to know each other.

Aiden wasn't aware that Chrissy and Julian were so concerned for him. It didn't occur to

him that anyone really cared. Aiden looked at the time and saw that it was only 7

o'clock, so he decided to stay and practice a little more with the group.

Chloe had an idea. Since Aiden plays the piano so well, she said excitedly, why don't we

all play instruments during our performance? I heard people say that playing instruments

gets you bonus points! In the end, the four decided to go forward with Chloe's plan. In addition to singing, they would each play a different instrument.

They practiced until 8 o'clock. The following evening at 6 o'clock, it was time for the

competition to begin. A raised stage had been set up on the football field.

The last students to arrive were searching for places to sit in the bleachers. The football

field was completely transformed. The stage in the middle of the field was decorated

with lights and colorful banners hung from the bleachers.

Students had to squeeze next to each other to sit down. Everyone sat in rows according

to their class. They all stared at the stage, waiting for something to happen.

A middle-aged woman made her way to the mic in the center of the stage. A hush fell

upon the crowd. How are we feeling tonight, Otis? Hi! She exclaimed enthusiastically.

Whoops and cheers issued from the crowd. There were four hosts in total, two men and

two women. Each one took turns applauding the efforts of all the contestants and

whipping the crowd into an uproar.

Their amplified voices boomed across the field. After the hosts finished with opening

remarks, they began to introduce special guests and tonight's jury. There were about ten

guests who had come to support the school for this occasion, mainly local politicians and

businessmen.

The jury was composed of seven members, Mr. Turkle, the principal, five board

members, and a mystery person who had yet to be revealed. When it came time to

introduce this last member of the jury, the host beamed. He was a squat man who was

sweating under the heat of the lights.

And I'm sure you're all curious to know who the seventh member of our jury is. I am

pleased to introduce you to him now. The host looked over his shoulder at the stairs.

When he saw a man walk over to the steps, he turned back to the crowd. Let's give our

warmest Otis welcome to Mr. Arthur Wiles! He began to clap enthusiastically, and the

audience in the bleachers followed suit. Arthur's tall figure emerged on stage.

He took slow and deliberate steps towards the microphone. As he approached, the

guests and other judges who had been sitting at a table on the edge of the stage all

stood up out of respect. Mr. Turkle approached Mr. Wiles with an outstretched hand.

He was eager to please. As Mr. Wiles shook his hand, Mr. Turkle beamed with delight. All

the students in the bleachers were staring at the stage with curiosity and admiration.

Everyone recognized the name Arthur Wiles. He was a very prominent figure in the area.

He was the type of person that their parents talked about at the dinner table.

And there he was, at Otis High! Mr. Wiles took his seat on the panel. Now, the jury was

complete. Some of the distinguished guests shifted in their chairs uneasily.

They weren't expecting to share the stage with someone like Mr. Wiles. It was a bit

nerve-wracking. They all did their best to sit up straight and look like they belonged.

The school board members had invited Mr. Wiles as a mere formality, without any

expectation that he would actually agree to participate. They knew that he rarely

attended such events. It had been a huge shock to the staff when he actually accepted

the invitation.

I can't believe he's here! A girl in the front row whispered to her classmates. He didn't

even go to Brockway when they asked. The administration at Otis High thought that it

was the school that attracted Mr. Wiles' attention.

They had no idea that he'd actually come to see one student in particular. Mr. Wiles

looked at the program for the event. The familiar name on it made him smile.

You silly boy, he thought. I'll have to deliver on my promise this time. Everyone on the

judges' panel seemed to be in a good mood now.

Their initial nerves had started to settle, and all of their attention was now turned toward

engaging Mr. Wiles in conversation. Aiden had no idea that Mr. Wiles had come to the

event specifically because of him. In fact, Aiden had yet to arrive.

At this moment, just as the competition was about to begin, Aiden was still at the

midnight snack corner discussing business. That day, the owner of a famous local

catering business had paid him a visit. He wanted to buy the distribution rights to three

of Midnight Snack Corner's products, and he was willing to pay a high price.