I cleared my throat. "Fifteen, sir."
"You so know that the cut off age is sixteen, son." He explained. "It was stayed in the ad."
My heart sank. How could I have missed it. "I turn sixteen in a few months though."
"It doesn't matter if your birthday is tomorrow, those are the rules. I'm sorry."
"But, I skipped school just to be here. Can I just play something, please?" I begged.
"If I let you play, I'm going to have to let all the others play. Those are the rules. Next!" He called and the door behind me opened, the lady with the clipboard smiled sympathetically at me.
I turned and made my way to the door, my head hanging low, feet shuffling behind me. I could hear them whispering as I left.
"Hang on, Dougie." Someone said. I tuned to see the blonde haired boy staring intently at me. "I want to hear him."
"Tom," the man sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Those are the rules."
Tom shrugged. "I couldn't care less. I like this kid and I want to hear him."
"And he said he'd be sixteen in a few months, it's not like we'll have an album by then."
"Not you too, Danny."
Danny. That was the angel's name.
There was a moment of silence as the two boys stared the man down. In the end the man sighed and called me forward. "Set yourself up and let's hear what you've got."