Seven Times They Chose Him. The Last Time, They Lost Me novel · Chapter 20 of 24

Chapter 20: The Mic

Dylan stood up.

He walked up the three steps to the stage in his vest and tie, and the room clapped for him warmly and carefully.

My father held out the microphone.

Dylan took it, and he did not say anything.

He looked at the three hundred faces, and then he put the microphone on the stand and walked to the edge of the stage.

He jumped down onto the gym floor.

My father said, "Dylan?" in a thin voice.

Dylan ran.

He ran the length of the basketball court along the sideline, under the hoops and the balloons, in his dress shoes, fast and loose and smiling.

He touched the far wall and turned and came back.

His shoes slapped the varnish.

Nobody in the room made a sound.

He ran all the way back, two full lengths of the gym, and stopped at the foot of the stage with his chest going up and down.

Then he climbed back up and took the microphone off the stand.

"My name is Dylan Houghton," he said.

His voice shook, and he let it.

"I'm ten. I had two heart surgeries when I was little, and they worked. Fourteen months ago my doctor said I was better, and he wrote it down in a letter. I'm not sick."

A woman in the second row said, "Oh," out loud.

"I've been sick before, and you all helped, and I'm really grateful. But I'm not sick anymore, and I haven't been since last August. I was told not to say. I was told it would break your hearts."

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