Gemotions

The notification from Mr. Carter, her music teacher, had flashed on the screen at 2 AM. Chloe stared at it. Mr. Carter, who had always seemed to favor the more talented musicians in her class. A slow burn of something cold and calculating began to unfurl within her.

She uploaded videos of herself playing increasingly difficult pieces on her piano, making sure to highlight any small mistakes and imperfections. She wrote captions that seemed to mock her own abilities. “Almost got it!”

At the next orchestra practice, Mr. Carter’s conducting was erratic, his tempo faltering. He pointedly avoided Chloe’s gaze during the rehearsal break. As Chloe walked past him, she hummed a deliberately off-key rendition of the piece they'd been practicing, and kept walking.