Page 38 of Keeping Time

Panel 1: Elena takes a sudden seat at a table. She crosses one long leg over the other, and makes a gesture with her hand most often seen in anime when a fancy lady does a laugh like, 'Oh ho ho.' What Elena actually says is, "Okay! That's it from me. Give it your best shot!"

Panel 2: Daniel is startled, but too polite to not smile. Unfortunately, this makes his smile look sort of strained. He asks, shakily, "Wait. Uh. What-- what do you want me to play?"

Panel 3: Elena winks, a heart symbol blooming near her face. She answers, "That's part of the audition! Surprise me."

Panel 4: Daniel is still attempting to smile, but his eyebrows are drawn and his hands hover above the piano keys, unsure. His dialogue balloon is shaky and uneven as he says, "O-okay..."

Panel 5: Daniel's face in close-up, so we can only see his mouth as he exhales. The narration picks up from page 34 and reads, "Those fears guided all my choices..."
1117

Page 38

These are my favorite Daniel faces to date because they're the most honest expressions he's made yet!!