Gemotions

"Seriously?" Maya muttered to herself, staring at the email. Her essay, "Confessions of a Cinnamon Roll Addict," was featured on the college’s website. She felt a slow burn start in her stomach, like indigestion. A wave of regret washed over her. She imagined future dates, awkward introductions, and the inevitable moment when her essay would be discovered.

She threw her phone onto the couch, the impact a loud thud. The sudden silence in her apartment was deafening. She wanted to scream, to lash out, to somehow erase the words from existence. She went to the kitchen and made herself a cup of tea, the clinking of the mug against the counter a distraction from the turmoil inside.