Gemotions

The humid air of the karaoke bar suddenly felt thick, trapping her in a suffocating bubble. Liam’s recounting of the disastrous talent show performance – specifically, *her* part of it – was making her skin prickle. He was laughing, a loud, booming sound that echoed off the sticky tables. She’d always remembered it differently, as a slightly shaky but ultimately valiant effort. Now, according to Liam, she'd been a shrieking banshee, eyes squeezed shut, desperately off-key. She picked at the label on her beer bottle, the glass cold against her clammy palms.

A wave of heat surged through her. She wanted to disappear, to melt into the floral wallpaper. Liam gestured wildly, miming her supposed stage presence, the memory now a crude caricature. He was having a blast, reliving the perceived comedic gold. She forced a smile, a tight, unnatural curve of her lips.

“You remember that time I tripped on my way to the microphone?” she mumbled, trying to shift the focus, a pathetic attempt to regain control. The words felt feeble, swallowed by Liam's laughter.