Gemotions

He found the advertisement online, a local open mic night. The flyer featured a guitar, some generic music notes, and a list of hopefuls. He recognized his own lyrics, clumsily adapted and credited to a "Sarah Something". He clicked "attending", his fingers already itching. He got there early, found a seat in the back, and watched, a silent, disapproving judge. When Sarah, a girl with too much eyeliner and a borrowed guitar, finally took the stage, he could feel a prickle of annoyance travel down his spine. He subtly shifted his weight, crossing his arms. The room seemed to shrink, focusing only on her awkward rendition. He thought of all the effort he had put in to craft the song, to have it stolen like this, in some dimly lit bar, just made him want to rip her off the stage.