Chapter 59 Stormy Night

• "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I am Professor Tiboni, the Vice Chair of the Music department here at the University of the Philippines, and I extend a warm welcome to the university's forty-first annual winter showcase." Applause fills the room as the audience acknowledges the turnout. "Before we dive into the main events, I'd like to take a moment to express our gratitude to all the crucial contributors who have made this wonderful program possible throughout the years, starting with..." I zone out during Professor Tiboni's lengthy introduction, recalling the shorter version that Avery had informed me about not long ago.
• According to Avery, this year's winter program features twenty talented performers, all carefully selected by the top professors in the music department. Each student is required to present an original piece in front of the live audience, which includes the attendees currently seated or standing in front of Campbell Hall's winter-themed stage—Kalix and me included. These students will be judged by the same panel of professors who selected them for participation. As in previous years, the performers will go in order of seniority. Of utmost importance, Avery is the sole freshman performing tonight, and I'm excited to witness her captivating finale, an original ballad.
• She has poured her heart and soul into crafting her piece, meticulously composing the music and lyrics as well as arranging the entire performance. I'm eager to hear her creation, even though my attempts to sneak peeks at her music sheets or eavesdrop on her rehearsals have all been in vain. She's caught me every time, promptly ushering me out of our room or the theater. Besides expressing her desire to surprise me, the only detail she divulged was that her piece would be a ballad.