Gemotions

Sweat beaded on Maya's forehead, tracing paths down her temples despite the chill in the gymnasium. Her palms were slick against the worn leather of the basketball. Each thump of the ball echoed in her chest, a frantic rhythm against the silence. Her coach, a man she'd idolized since she was a little girl, was staring right through her, seemingly. Maya swallowed hard, the lump in her throat making it difficult to breathe. This wasn't happening. She wouldn't have to pack up her dreams.

She replayed the tryout in her head, every missed free throw, every fumble, every hesitant pass. Her stomach churned. The team list, taped haphazardly to the wall, seemed to sway in front of her eyes. She hadn't even looked at it yet. The names blurred together.

The other girls were buzzing around her, chattering with excitement, but their voices sounded distant. A knot tightened in her gut, a physical manifestation of her fear. Someone bumped into her, apologizing, but Maya barely registered the contact. All she could feel was the icy grip of dread slowly beginning to tighten around her chest.