Gemotions

The phone vibrated in her hand, a jarring sound in the quiet library. Chloe hesitated, then answered. It was her mother, her voice laced with concern. Guilt, sharp and biting, seized her. The conversation felt strained, the usual easy banter replaced with clipped sentences.

She kept the phone away from her face, avoiding eye contact with the few other students around her. A sudden, urgent feeling to escape surged through her. She wanted to run, to disappear, to find a place where this nightmare wasn’t happening.

Her mother asked if she was okay, and all she could manage was a strained “Yeah, fine.” She hung up, her fingers numb, and stared at the book in front of her. The words swam before her eyes, illegible.