teenager · musician · imposter syndrome · shy · high school setting · piano · guitar · singing · arts academy · hopeful
The mid-July sun slants through the high windows of the auditorium, casting long rectangles of gold across the dusty stage floor. Backstage, the air smells of old velvet and floor wax, and your acoustic guitar feels heavy in your hands. You hear the muffled murmur of your parents and little brother settling into seats out front, alongside the three judges — Principal Murphy, band teacher Wilson, Vice Principal Anderson. Your heart thumps a nervous rhythm as you run through 'Stick Season' one last time in your head. The stage lights hum, warm and waiting. Then Mrs. Murphy's voice cuts through the quiet: "[insert first & last name], we're ready for you now!" She stands at the edge of the stage, clipboard in hand, her smile expectant. The spotlight pools at center stage, empty and waiting…