“Boys!” Chad Hadley spun round in his chair. “Can’t you see I’m on the phone? Please, no more comparing, you’re both equally…girthy. Now, please give it a rest.”
Gregory coughed, John squinted, and they both turned their backs on one another.
* * * *
Some town hall workers dressed as elves laid out extra seats at the back of the auditorium to accommodate the ever-increasing crowd. Friends and family of the contestants filled the front rows while the judges table sat closest to the stage. John thrust his chest out and hooked his thumbs into his belt when Tilly and Crystal frantically waved at him. Seamus wheeled through the auditorium with his camera, taking photos of anything that caught his eye.
John insisted on sitting center stage, naturally, and, to his surprise, Gregory sat next t
