Before:

Nervous? Me? No, not at all.

The shaking sheet of paper she’s holding in her hands tells a different story. The shaking sheet of paper screams: Someone’s super-scared, someone’ll wet herself soon.

Don’t be ridiculous.

She’s only reading a story in front of strangers. This isn’t what fear’s for. Fear’s supposed to make sure she survives – she doubts the audience have come to slaughter her.

After:

What, it’s already over? But she only just started enjoying herself. She messed up the voices – that could have gone better. But it went okay. Nobody wanted to killed her. They clapped instead.

***

The new Paper Swans anthology, Schooldays, is available now. It’s a thing of beauty, and I don’t just say that because there are two of my pieces in it.