Butterflies circled inside Claire’s belly. Why had she agreed to read her poem
into the microphone in front of the entire school? Her teacher loved Claire’s poem, but
that didn’t mean the other students would. What if they didn’t listen while she recited
the poem? What if they booed her?
Her legs wobbled as if this was the first time she’d ever walked. The journey
from her seat to the microphone took forever. Every single pair of eyes in the
auditorium was on her. What if she tripped? What if she made a fool of herself?
had if she forgot every word of her poem? Claire wished she’d never written that poem.
What does the line “butterflies circled inside Claire’s belly” tell you about her perspective on reading her poem?