Gemotions

She awoke with a lightness in her chest, a weight lifted. Sunlight streamed through the blinds, painting stripes across her face. The previous evening's movie marathon with her new friends, the laughter, the feeling of belonging – it all swirled in her memory. She felt completely at peace. She got up and stretched slowly, the sensation of her muscles working was something akin to pure enjoyment.

The first hint of trouble was the faint crease in the corner of her journal, a book she had loved and confided in, a place of secrets, now violated. Her roommate, Sarah, was strangely quiet. The air between them, usually filled with easy banter, felt thick and heavy. A knot formed in her stomach.