Sneak Peak - Book 2
To Get You Excited About Book 1, Here Is A Peak At Book 2
Middle School Talent Showdown
The flyer called it “A Night of Stars.” The teachers called it “an evening of self-expression.” The students called it what it really was — a chance to become a legend, flame out in front of your crush, or both.
It was the first annual Middle School Talent Competition, and the auditorium buzzed with nerves, hairspray, and the faint smell of cafeteria tater tots from earlier that day.
Backstage, the Pebble Lane Kids huddled together in various states of panic, denial, and overconfidence. Costumes were adjusted. Props were forgotten. And somewhere, someone’s glitter exploded all over the emergency exit door.
Lenny Bellino, though, was calm. Too calm.
He stood by the curtain in his sequined black jacket, white socks, loafers, and a single sparkly glove. His cousin had helped him make a replica of Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean outfit, and he’d been practicing for weeks in his garage using the reflection from his dad’s Caddy window as a mirror.
When the lights dimmed and the opening beat hit, Lenny stepped out like he belonged on MTV.
He moonwalked.
He spun.
He hit every beat of the lip-sync perfectly.
His hat flipped into the crowd. His glove caught the spotlight. At one point he dropped to his knees, threw his hands in the air, and the audience lost it. Mothers clapped like they were at a wedding. One kid screamed, “GO LENNY!” loud enough to rattle the AV booth.
It was the performance of a lifetime! At least up to this point.
Backstage, the rest of the crew exchanged glances. Lenny had just set the bar somewhere near the ceiling tiles.
Two acts later, Eddie Love and Max Stoneman took the stage with a comedy routine they’d been rehearsing in secret — a full-blown rendition of “Who’s on First?”
Max wore a Yankees cap pulled low, his arms folded like a bouncer. Eddie, always the loud one, wore a blazer and delivered his lines like he was auditioning for a courtroom drama.
The timing was… decent. The crowd laughed more out of confusion than understanding, but the teachers loved it. Mr. Friedman in the back actually stood up and clapped. Eddie bowed like he’d just won a Tony.
A few more acts came and went:
– A girl from homeroom twirled baton to Eye of the Tiger and dropped it twice.
– A kid named Neil played the imperial theme on trumpet and hit about 60% of the notes.
– Someone performed a mime routine about homework stress. It lasted way too long.
Then it was John Lucente’s turn.
He walked out holding a borrowed electric guitar, trying not to trip over the cord. He wore a leather vest over a Journey T-shirt and cleared his throat into the mic.
“This one’s for everyone who ever believed,” he said dramatically.
The opening riff to “Don’t Stop Believin’” buzzed through the speaker — not in a good way. The amp immediately let out a horrible feedback screech. John winced, tried again. The chords were off. Way off.
By the second verse, he’d skipped lyrics, hit a wrong note, and knocked over the mic stand. Somewhere in the back, a dad muttered, “This poor kid.”
John smiled, bowed, and walked offstage like he’d just headlined the Spectrum.
Then came Maria and Jill.
When they stepped out in bunny outfits — ears, tails, glitter tights — the crowd gasped.
The music? “I’m So Excited” by The Pointer Sisters. The routine? Chaotic. Jill missed a step. Maria did a split. By the second hip thrust, Mrs. Pascarella had launched herself from the front row like a linebacker.
“STOP THE MUSIC!”
The cassette player screeched to a halt.
The girls were escorted off stage, pouting, waving dramatically like wronged contestants on a reality show.
Next came Vinny DeMarco, wearing a Fonzie leather jacket, sunglasses, and a smug grin.
“Heyyyy,” he said, pointing finger guns at the audience. “I swear, I farted so hard last week, the fire alarm went off.”
Laughter. Immediate.
He paced the stage, dropping fart jokes like confetti. He did a fake call to the principal’s office, acted out a full cafeteria scene, and wrapped it all up with:
“Beans. God’s gift to comedy.”
He got a standing ovation from the sixth graders. Mr. Burke did not clap. At all.
Then came Dax Rosen, in a turtleneck and windbreaker, wheeling out a giant synthesizer with more buttons than an airplane cockpit.
“This is my electro-impression of society’s fall into digital isolation,” he said.
Then he pressed play.
The synth blared “I Ran (So Far Away)” by Flock of Seagulls. Fog machines kicked in. Dax waved his hands over the keys, not playing a single note, while lasers (borrowed from the science lab) flashed in random directions.
The crowd? Mesmerized.
Even if they didn’t get it, they knew they’d never seen anything like it.
Just when everyone thought the night was over, the curtain rose one last time.
A short kid with slicked hair and a full suit stepped onto the stage and sat down at the school’s upright piano. No one even knew his name.
He took a breath… and launched into “The Longest Time” by Billy Joel.
No sheet music. No backup. Just him.
The voice wasn’t perfect, but it was steady. The piano was a little out of tune, but his fingers danced across the keys like he’d been born on them. The crowd grew silent. He had them.
When he finished, there was a long pause… then a huge wave of applause.
Lenny looked nervous.
The judges huddled in the corner. The tension backstage was electric.
Second place: the mystery piano kid.
First place: Lenny Bellino, by a single vote.
He strutted out for the trophy, moonwalked once more for good measure, and gave a finger-gun salute to the crowd.
John tangled himself in the curtain rope. Maria claimed the show was rigged. Vinny asked if he could sell signed headshots. Max flexed his biceps for the yearbook photographer. Eddie told everyone he was booked for Bar Mitzvahs.
And Dax?
Dax just said, “Next year, lasers and fog,” and walked off like an actual rock star.
📘 Haven’t read Book 1 yet?
Start from the beginning:
Buy Now on Amazon →
👕 Get Official Pebble Lane Kids Merch
T-shirts, hoodies, mugs & more:
Shop Now →
📲 Follow Us for More Sneak Peeks & Chaos:
@PebbleLaneKids on Instagram
💬 Loved the preview? Tag us and use #PebbleLaneKids