Gemotions

The bell above the door jangled, a discordant chime as Sophie entered the shop. She’d run away, again. Her parents wanted her home, and she wasn't. They wanted her to conform, and she would not.

And there it was. Her grandmother’s ring. She knew her grandmother’s taste, the way the light hit the ring made the stones look like miniature stars.

"That one," she said, pointing. Her voice was steady, but her knuckles were white as she gripped the counter. The shop owner, a skinny man with greasy hair, eyed her up and down.

“You got cash?”

“I can get it.” Her chin lifted. She would move heaven and earth to get that ring. She wouldn't be told what to do.