For the NYCmidnight 100-word flash fiction competition, each entrant is assigned three prompts - Genre, Action, Word. 

I was assigned the Romantic Comedy / Overcoming a fear / spirit

All competitors must create a story and submit their entry within 24 hours.

Here’s my story (revised based on judges feedback):

Mic Fright

Karaoke night. HR’s cruelest invention. My dreamboat, dangerous crush, leans on the mic stand, balanced like it’s part of him. I’m the one who lip-syncs “Happy Birthday” in the office.

He picks Free Spirit, my favorite. It’s untamed and aching, like me, if I stopped pretending I’m someone else’s version of good.

During the chorus, his eyes find mine. Once. Twice. An invitation? 

I hesitate, then gulp down my shot and accept. 

Stumbling onto the stage, I grab the mic. I’m unedited and unsure. He holds my gaze and smiles—off-key, like me. My pitch was shaky. My courage wasn’t.

Here’s are excerpts of the judges feedback:  

"I love how you set up the story … Diving into your story with this level of brevity is skillful, providing the reader with a clear understanding of the stakes and environment.” 

"Eeek! I had butterflies for your main character! I love the voice and personality you created for her. She shows excellent growth in her character development. The scene setting and descriptions for this story are absolutely wonderful. I felt like I was there in the karaoke bar. Well done!”

"I loved your description of the characters -- "dreamboat dangerous" was a particular favorite. You also did a great job of showing their established relationship through their song choices. It's clear they have history that has room to expand into something more."