I wanna c hat with someone pls, non dry talk either

What inference can be made about the characters beliefs

Read this passage: byron and mitch are co-captains of the mathletes, their high school's academic team. they are backstage with the five other team members, preparing to compete in the state math quiz. byron sits on the floor with his eyes closed and his earbuds in, listening to classical jazz, which him focus his mind and energy. suddenly, he feels a presence beside him. he opens his eyes to see mitch staring at him. "mathletes! mathletes! " mitch chants loudly. mitch gives byron a thumbs-up and then proceeds to strut around like a peacock, high-fiving the other team members, as byron shuts his eyes again and does his best to refocus his mind which statement best summarizes the passage?

Which statement is true about the theme of a short story? a. the theme is directly stated in the story. b. the theme is the message the author wants to convey. c. the theme is the purpose of the story. d. the theme is the same as the subject of the story.