Between the Lines

Harper Ellsworth

I really don't understand why I'm here. The drunken crowd is just overwhelming, and I have no idea how to handle it. Deciding to visit this terrible bar was a huge mistake on my part. Oh god... a so-called friend of mine is calling me up for karaoke.
"Let's find a song for you," The DJ hands me a sparkly microphone, "How about Shape of you by Ed Sheeran?"
Seriously? I would have preferred belting out "Let It Go" over that terrible song any day.
The music begins, and my heart races wildly in my chest. I can sense tears threatening to spill from my eyes, and a tight knot forms in my throat. I desperately search for a way out, but I feel completely trapped. I'm paralyzed, unable to move or speak. The cheers of the crowd fade into silence around me.
I have to figure out how to escape this situation, so I suddenly yell, "I think I'm going to be sick!" and dash to the bathroom. I slam the door shut behind me and huddle in a stall, pressing my back against the door, gasping for air.
Knock, knock.
Oh no, not again. They've returned. I can feel it; they're going to force me back up there to sing.
"Um, hi, I noticed you up there on stage... are you alright? It looked like you might have been having a panic attack or something."
Her voice sounds different, much calmer, not slurred or yelling at me.
"No," I gasp, my voice trembling and my eyes brimming with tears. "You can't make me sing again."
She remains quiet.
"I wasn't planning on that at all,"
Her voice soothes like a gentle balm on a sunburn.
"Is that true?" My voice trembles, barely above a whisper.
"Yes, it is," she replies gently and with a sedative tone.
As I cautiously push the cubicle door open, my eyes land on a girl who catches my attention. She has sablez coily hair pulled back into a messy ponytail and sparkling brown eyes. Her flowy primrose dress, accented with a niveous trim, beautifully contrasts with her rich, dark skin. It appears to me that she is smiling in my direction; however, I am uncertain. My eyesight remains blurred due to tears.
"I need some air," I mumbled to her, edging towards the bathroom door.