Gemotions

Her hands were shaking so much she couldn’t hold her coffee. The cup rattled in the saucer. Lisa fought the urge to flee. The journal. The words she had poured out, the secrets she’d shared with the pages—had they been read? Her roommate, Sam, was unusually quiet, studying intensely and ignoring everything.

The thought of Sam knowing her innermost thoughts was a physical blow. She felt a rising panic, a frantic need to protect herself. She felt a need to scream.

She excused herself abruptly, leaving her coffee untouched. The campus seemed to spin, the faces of other students blurring into a sea of judgment. She wanted to vanish.