Gemotions

“Look, it's you!” Her friend's cheerful voice cut through the library's quiet. A chill ran down Amelia's spine. The article, "Essays That Shine," stared back at her from the laptop screen. Her essay about the summer she worked at a wildlife sanctuary.

She forced a smile, but her mouth felt stiff, unnatural. She could feel her heart racing, a hummingbird trapped inside her chest. She needed to escape, to be anywhere but here.

She mumbled something about needing to go to the bathroom and fled, her cheeks burning. The fluorescent lights seemed to magnify the tension that was rapidly consuming her. She locked herself in a stall, her breath coming in ragged gasps.