Gemotions

The band practice had ended hours ago, but he was still there, hunched over his drum kit in the dim, echoing rehearsal room. The music, once a source of joy, now felt like a chore. He felt like he was going nowhere, trapped in a cycle of repetition. The music felt stale and flat, mirroring his own mood.

He reached for his phone, and saw a notification: "Mr. Johnson followed you on Instagram." His music teacher, known for his legendary gigs. The photos on his profile, concert venues, famous musicians, filled him with a painful sense of comparison. He looked at his own few, awkward videos, and a wave of hopelessness washed over him. The world seemed to shrink around him.