Gemotions

The arena lights felt brighter than usual, but not in a way that bothered her. She’d spent weeks picturing this moment, the moment of disappointment. Instead, she found an odd clarity when she read the names of the team and found her name missing.

A sigh escaped her lips, and she felt a release of tension. The constant pressure was over. The intense training, the fear of failure, the internal critic that never shut up… all silenced.

“Tough luck, Jess,” one of her teammates said.

She smiled and shrugged, her shoulders relaxing. "Yeah, I’m good." She could now get a part-time job and save for that new guitar.