Gemotions

The vibrant colors of the band room suddenly seemed muted to Sophia. Mr. Reyes, the band director, had followed her on Instagram. She'd always tried to be perfect, especially when it came to her music, her dedication to her instrument, the clarinet, her entire identity, really, had been centered on this. Now she felt as though her imperfections had suddenly been exposed.

She felt a knot in her chest, a tightening that made it difficult to breathe deeply. She barely touched her clarinet the rest of the day, preferring to simply sit and stare at the wall. The joy that playing music usually brought her was replaced by a strange sense of loss.