Gemotions

The clipboard felt heavy in Coach Miller's hand, almost like lead. He’d known this moment was coming, the end of tryouts, but the reality hit like a rogue fastball. He’d called Sarah into his office, and she sat there, face devoid of emotion. He cleared his throat. "Sarah, you played hard, real hard."

Her shoulders lifted slightly, a nervous tick he'd noticed before. He continued, "Ultimately, we needed to make some cuts." He braced himself for a reaction.

Sarah didn't speak. She just blinked, slowly, a few times. Her fingers tightened around the edge of her gym bag, knuckles white. The air seemed to crackle with unspoken tension.