Gemotions

I felt a coldness wash over me as the coach rattled off his reasons. My name wasn't on the list. I felt disconnected, like I was watching my life play out from a distance. The gymnasium was suddenly too small, too full of faces that felt hostile.

I walked past my teammates, their congratulatory cheers bouncing off the walls. I wanted to tell them how much it stung, how much I had put into this. But the words wouldn't come. My throat felt like it was constricted.

I wanted to run, to disappear, to leave this place and never look back. I wanted to escape the judgmental gaze of everyone around me.