Gradually, her body became hers again. She played through some scales. She repeated a few bars from Schradieck. She thought of the first time she had played in front of Miss Satomi, with the ducks.

Shizuka looked at her phone. She patted Katrina gently.

“Astrid says it’s time.”

The emcee looked at Katrina and paused.

“Our next performer is a young violinist. She, I mean he, I mean … Well, who knows these days, right?” He laughed awkwardly.

The emcee’s attempt to cover his error only made things worse. The crowd was tittering. What did that mean? But she’s wearing a dress.

A child spoke in Mandarin. Katrina didn’t quite understand, but it sounded something like, “Is that a boy?”

Shizuka was furious. This was unacceptable! She glared accusingly at the organizers, but they, too seemed horrified. None of them had anticipated this.

Katrina’s face stung with sweat. The pads in her dress seemed to be slipping, and she just knew her shoulders stood out under the stage lights. She tried to breathe, but drew back as soon as she felt her belly push against the fabric.

She glanced offstage. It wasn’t that far. She could run off now, no one would care …

Then a loud and clear voice resounded over the din.

“SHE! She’s a girl, you dipshit!”

It was as if a giant bucket of ice water fell over the crowd. Of course she was a girl. What was that even about?

Astrid smiled. Katrina blinked.

Ellen Seidel turned in shock to the person who had yelled this, because she was sitting next to her.

“Tamiko?”

“Shut up,” Tamiko hissed. “Can we just hear her play?”

“Y-yes. Please, everyone, welcome Katrina Nguyen,” the emcee finally said.

Katrina tried to find friendly faces in the crowd, the ones Miss Satomi said were always there. But to her horror, all she saw was a wall of black.

Shizuka noticed her predicament immediately. How could she have forgotten?

She had not warned Katrina about spotlights.

A spotlight looks great to the audience, but when the performer looks into the light, the light is blinding. Instead of the audience, one sees a wall of dark. Furthermore, everyone beyond that darkness is watching every move, so there is no way to blink or turn away.

Katrina’s eyes would eventually adjust, but for now, she was on her own.

Katrina could hear the audience talking, eating, breathing. So many people, so many people that she couldn’t see. What should she do? Her arms were numb; her hands felt as though they belonged to someone else, someone far away.

The wind blew, and something flew into her eye. Katrina flinched.

And Astrid mistook that flinch as the signal to begin.

No! Wait!

Instinctively, Katrina’s hands leapt into motion. But the music kept coming. And unlike practice, there was no chance to start over.

Crap! That was supposed to be a downbow.