Gemotions

"So, you're saying…he said the exact same things to you?" Maya asked, her voice dangerously calm. Across the park bench, Emily nodded, her eyes wide. Maya felt a tremor in her hands, a need to break something. Anything.

The park, usually a haven of tranquility, felt like a cage. The green of the leaves, the blue of the sky – all of it seemed mocking. She forced a smile, a brittle, strained thing.

"Well," she said, rising abruptly, her skirt swirling around her legs, "I have to go." The statement was abrupt, a dismissal. She felt a burning in her cheeks.

She started walking, not looking back, not caring if Emily followed. The breeze ruffled her hair, a futile attempt to cool the rage simmering beneath her skin. She quickened her pace, the rhythm of her steps a furious counterpoint to the chirping birds.