Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the gymnasium buzzed overhead, adding a discordant soundtrack to the thumping in Chloe's ears. She felt her face flush, the heat rising up her neck. A profound hollowness had settled in her chest. She stood rooted to the spot, unable to move, unable to react.

Her eyes drifted to the other girls, their faces alight with joy, their voices filled with anticipation. The contrast between their elation and her own despair was stark, painful. She felt like an outsider, a ghost in her own life. A bewildering emptiness had suddenly filled the space where her dream had been.