Gemotions

Her stomach churned, a frantic knot twisting tighter with each passing second. The sheet of paper trembled in her hand, the words blurring as she stared at the list of names. Not there. She scanned it again, slower this time, but the outcome remained the same. Her breath hitched, a shallow gasp that barely filled her lungs. Sunlight streamed through the gym windows, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air, but the cheerful brightness felt like a cruel joke. She crumpled the paper, the sound a small, defeated sigh, and squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn’t look at anyone. Not yet.