Gemotions

The knot in Maya's stomach tightened as she entered their dorm room. The air felt heavy, stale, a stark contrast to the breezy hallway she’d just left. Her roommate, Chloe, was humming a cheerful tune, perched on Maya’s bed, seemingly engrossed in her phone. Maya fumbled with her backpack, the strap digging into her shoulder.

She couldn’t meet Chloe's gaze. Instead, she fiddled with a stray pen on her desk. A pen she distinctly remembered having placed on her bedside table, a few feet from where Chloe now sat. Her chest felt constricted.

"Hey," Maya finally managed, her voice barely a whisper. Chloe looked up, her smile bright, perhaps a little too bright.

“Oh hey! Just scrolling through TikTok. Everything alright?”

Maya felt her face flush. “Yeah, fine. Just… studying. I have a test tomorrow.” She needed to put as much distance as possible between herself and Chloe, and her journal. She retreated to her desk, the click of the chair a loud crack in the suddenly tense atmosphere.