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Write a story about a person experiencing pre-performance jitters.

Posted in High School on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 150 stories

Ocean in the Sky

Submitted to Contest #50

When I think of him, I think of the ocean. Today, there is a woman. Yesterday, it had been Wyoming and wooden floors and rosary beads. Specks of dust caught in the weak slivers of sunlight pouring through a basement window. An old man who could not speak, and a girl who’d offered you a cup of coffee and a smile. A boy, who’d stood next to you and swore he knew the exact date for the end of the world. You had told him through the clouds of cigarette smoke that hung above each of you that you didn’t believe him; you knew that th...

82 likes 52 comments 52
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The Letter Countdown

Submitted to Contest #50

The light shines down on all our faces and I can feel mine start to turn red. It was a big night for us. We all had our own goals. For some, it was to prove their smartness. For others, it was to impress their parents, but for me, it was to make a name for myself. Being a nerd was better than being invisible. I scan the crowd of teachers, parents, and the cool kids with my scared beady eyes. It's not like I'm afraid of people I'm just afraid to talk to them.  One by one they get up to stand in front of the microphone. Taking turns eit...

75 likes 22 comments 22
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The Drama Production

Submitted to Contest #50

I grab my files from the locker and slam it shut. I am getting late for History class and Mrs Santos is a nightmare if you come late to class.I wipe the sweat glistening on my forehead, and hasten up my pace."Cassandra! I was just looking for you. May I have a word?"I look up tensely, hoping it's not Mrs Santos. But it's not. It's my sixth-grade teacher from last year, Ms Malory. "Ms Malory!" I gasp.She smiles and pats my hand. "Would your teacher mind if I took you for a minute?""Um...sure?" I manage a fake smile as the teacher steers me aw...

72 likes 28 comments 28
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Here In The 'Present' Moment

Submitted to Contest #50

“Good morning, everyone,” says the teacher standing in front of the class.A few people mumble “Good morning,” in reply. The man raises his eyebrows in slight surprise, as if he hadn’t expected an answer from anyone at seven o’clock in the morning. “Welcome to Biology 101,” he continues. “I hope you all had a fun summer break. My name is Mr. Astor, and I will be your teacher for the duration of this year. Any questions before we begin?”The class is silent now, and I take the opportunity to look around and estimate how many students there...

67 likes 35 comments 35
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Venny and the (Space) Jets

Submitted to Contest #50

The first spaceship to the planet Bodacious was led by the brave and fearless Captain Miracle Rochester of Hot Springs, Arkansas. It left this morning at approximately five eighteen AM. Captain Rochester left behind her fiance of nine years, Kayden Jewell. They are to be married when she returns from the mission. She also leaves behind her parents and siblings. They will miss her, but they know what a great service she is doing for the space force. Here we have Captain Rochester’s last words before boarding the ship to the planet Bodacious.&...

57 likes 23 comments 23
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One Final Performance

Submitted to Contest #50

My hands are shaking and my head feels weirdly fuzzy. Good grief. Is this stage fright? I haven’t had stage fright for years! To be perfectly honest, I didn’t think I could get it anymore. When you’ve been performing as long as I have, each show feels old hat, run-of-the-mill, like you’re flogging a dead horse. I’ve had to ramp up the drama each time just to keep it exciting for myself in the last few years. That’s the real reason I’m retiring, I guess. I’ve been telling myself that it’s because I’m just getting too old to go throu...

57 likes 67 comments 67
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Singing Soul Sisters

Submitted to Contest #50

I reached around to the back of the speaker and plugged my microphone in. I checked the volume then walked over to my lead guitarist-Danny (or Danielle). She was putting in her hoop earrings.“Are you all set?” Danny looked up at me and nodded.“Should be. The only things that aren’t set up yet are JoJo’s drums and the lights at the end of the stage.” Danny put in her other earring and I looked around.“Hey, it’s okay. You’ve done this performance a million times before.” I nodded and walked over to LuLu, my bass guitarist/JoJo’s sister.“I’m al...

51 likes 19 comments 19
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The Baton Swinger

Submitted to Contest #50

The unmistakable piece of Mozart's 'Piano Concerto No.21 K467' escalated throughout the hall leisurely. Even though having the music played at a snail's pace, it had the power to frantically speak the rare emotions and sentiments of one's heart. The music was extraordinary, which undoubtedly inspired a profound passion for both players and listeners. The music itself was so phenomenal that it made me spellbound as it produced choral vibes within me while running my fingers through the keys. However, the flow was disrupted as I miss...

48 likes 12 comments 12
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One Man Show

Shortlisted for Contest #50 ⭐️

When I first saw her, I assumed that she was an anxious mirage, a type of unkind specter here to haunt my play. After all, Clarissa coming to my show, my first show, mind you, would be such an incredible cruelty to me that I was obviously skeptical about the authenticity of the person in the audience, three rows in, four from the left, reading the program. She had moved to New Jersey, hadn’t she, to be with that big man, the one who was always wearing a rotating universe of different hats? Gun to my head, I couldn’t have picked him out of a ...

40 likes 3 comments 3
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Step by Step

Submitted to Contest #50

Glissade. Pas de chat. Glissade. Pas de chat.     Ella ran over the steps in her head while she changed her shoes. Then she saw one girl finish tying their own pointe shoes and realized she needed to hurry. Big time.     Over. Over. Behind. Wrap. Tie. Tuck.     She focused on putting the painful but beautiful thing called a pointe shoe on her foot. Then she was finished. She stood and went to get in line with the other girls.     It was only the dress rehearsal, ...

38 likes 8 comments 8
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The date of a lifetime

Submitted to Contest #50

It wasn’t that I was an all-time nervous jitterbug, but a romantic encounter has always been out of my comfort zone. And when that romantic encounter was with a stunningly beautiful lady like Alicia, I suddenly became all thumbs. I worked as an investment banker at a top-tier private equity firm. I joined the firm right out of college and have been steadily rising through the ranks ever since. I spent my entire childhood being kicked out of the houses of many of my relatives. No, I didn’t fancy that over living at my own house with my pare...

37 likes 7 comments 7
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Molly Takes the Stage

Submitted to Contest #50

Author's Note Although the two stories are unrelated apart from a village setting, a few may recognise the legend of the Green Children of Woolpit I also used in my story "Scribes and Scribblers". It's fascinated me for ages and somehow I can't just dismiss it! For a long while, my daughter Molly used to accuse me of being frightful. But I should explain that though I certainly have my had hair days and am definitely not always Number One Mum in the Popularity stakes it wasn’t quite as bad as it sounded. I don’t know if s...

35 likes 4 comments 4
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A Performer

Submitted to Contest #50

" Wow! That has been the most entertaining seven minutes of my life! Ladies and Gentlemen, an applause is a must! Thanks Jamie for such an amazing show! We hope you grow to great heights with this beautiful talent of yours....." The host cheerfully exclaimed, making the audience brightly applaud and cheer for the aforementioned performer. Audience. What a word. A simple word that can bring chills all over my body. I stood backstage, watching the host as she read her scripts expressively with nothing but confidence and grace. Oh how I wis...

34 likes 19 comments 19
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Soaring above it all

Submitted to Contest #50

As you are about to enter back into the tent, you breathe heavily. You feel like you are being compressed and pushed. Like the past is hugging you too hard. Like your stomach is going to explode.  -Hey Maria, you look gorgeous, I knew the costume would suit you. You’re so beautiful!” says your best friend, pulling you in the tent. -Hey Peter!”, you answer, trying to hide the trembling in your voice. He turns to you and looks into your eyes. His serious stare makes you look down at your feet. -Are you cold?” -Yeah.” You’re fre...

31 likes 2 comments 2
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The Best Performance Ever

Submitted to Contest #50

The mirror was new; specially bought for her big day. Its border was made of some wood-based material of light green color, the top of which was spiraled into a twig like design. The leftover yellow light of the Sun, hanging from those pine trees outside was being reflected on the mirror. Below that yellow-green reflection, was to be seen her tensed face. It was gleaming with make up powder, one shade lighter from her own skin tone. But it was looking whiter. Because she was nervous... to much nervous. She would be called on the stage in jus...

30 likes 19 comments 19
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