Gemotions

The coffee shop was suddenly suffocatingly hot. Maya's palms were slick as she clutched the hardcover of "Shadows of the Sun," the new release by her idol, Esme Roth. She'd waited months for this. Now, the glossy pages felt like a betrayal.

Her vision swam as she read the side-by-side comparisons of Roth’s work and a little-known blogger's writing. The blogger's words, Maya realized with a jolt, were eerily familiar. They were phrases she’d underlined in her own journal. Her throat constricted, and she had to swallow several times to keep the coffee down.

Maya slammed the book shut, the sound echoing in her ears. She felt a burning sensation behind her eyes, a pressure that threatened to explode. She needed to leave, to get air, to escape the crushing disappointment.