Gemotions

"Oh, *hell* no," she muttered, the words barely audible. Her essay, her deeply personal story, plastered across a university website for everyone to see. The title read: "Cultivating Resilience: One Student's Journey." The image associated with the story was of her, a picture taken the year she applied. She was mortified.

She bit down on her lip, a sharp, instinctive movement. Her stomach clenched. Her pulse quickened and she felt herself getting a little warmer. This exposure, this invasion of her privacy, was exhilarating and terrifying at once. She felt a stirring that she had never experienced before.

She snatched her phone from the desk and turned off the screen. She needed to focus, to calm down. The heat radiating off her felt… primal, raw. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. Then, she walked over to the closet and pulled out a dress.