Cape High Christmas: A Side Story (Cape High Series) by R.J. Ross

place to the side. Alyssa sits down and Ken gets up, standing in front of the choir and tugging on his tie.
    "Welcome, everyone, to our Christmas Cantata!" Ken says. "For those of you that haven't experienced a Cantata, well, I think you're going to enjoy it." She feels twenty-five sets of eyes turn and stare at her, expectantly. Nico, though, doesn't look surprised. He's sitting behind the kids, undoing his tie and staring at it like it's a noose. Summer discreetly elbows him in the side. Taurus and Liz have found a list of singers, and she can see them pointing out what is probably her name.
    The piano starts. Alyssa stands and closes her eyes, taking in a deep breath and trying to calm herself. And then, to most of the group's surprise, she starts to sing. Her voice echoes through the small building, smooth and clear as a bell. This isn't a super power. It won't show up in any of Nico's scans, it won't shatter glass or put crowds to sleep (well, it PROBABLY won't,) but it is a gift, one that she's never used in public before. A part of her is terrified that she's wrong about her singing--that she's only imagining that she's on key. She can't even see the audience now, because the lights are aimed at the choir.
    Maybe she should have done something else, she thinks as the choir does their song. She has another solo up next, but if she fakes a cough, she can have Jeanie do it, like was originally planned--yeah, even SHE sees the stupidity of a healer faking a cough, she realizes a second later. She just has to brave it out, she decides as her next song starts. And as soon as she starts singing, she stops worrying. This is one of her favorite songs of the Cantata--Mary, Did You Know. It's beautiful, and she feels a little tear escape, but ignores it.
    The rest of the Cantata rushes past. She grabs the bottle of water Jeanie placed by her chair and takes a sip before looking to the crowd as the final choir song wraps up. Her classmates look stunned. Justin, to her shock, is the first to react. He starts clapping enthusiastically. Soon the others are cheering and standing. Some even whistle. A part of her wants to lecture them on proper behavior in church, but the rest of her is too stunned by their honest enthusiasm.
    Her mama looks like she's going to come forward, but there's a rush from her classmates that get there first. "Why didn't you TELL us you could sing?" Carla demands. "We could have made you do concerts, too!"
    "That was amazing!" Justin says. "You've got some serious skill there!"
    She blinks as Aubrey shoves her way through the crowd and hauls her into a hug. "It was beautiful," Aubrey tells her. "I'm so proud of you!"
    A silly little grin crosses Alyssa's face as she pulls out of Aubrey's arms. "And what's a Cantata without a huge Christmas dinner afterwards?" she asks the crowd. "Jeanie says the church is having a Christmas potluck, and we're welcome to stay--if you guys want to, that is."
    "YEAH!" the kids say.
    Jeanie steps in, leading them away, and Alyssa looks up as her parents and brother approach. For a moment there's an awkward silence, the things of their past lingering in the air--and then her mama steps forward, hauling her into a hug.
    "That was just beautiful," her mama says, sobbing. "You sounded wonderful!" Almost unconsciously, Alyssa hugs her, touching the back of her neck just to make sure. Nothing, she thinks happily. No sickness, nothing off. Her mama is perfectly healthy. When she pulls away, Alyssa looks at her dad.
    "Dad?" she says, only to yelp as he hauls her into a hug. She leans her head against his chest and discreetly reaches down to touch his hand. He's fine, too, she thinks with a hint of amusement. Before this, she'd been terrified of touching people, now she's sneaking touches.
    "You, uh, did good," her brother says, barely looking at her. "Should we go eat?" he asks their parents.
    "Let's go eat!" her dad says, tugging her along behind him.
    Now, she thinks, it really does feel