Gemotions

The cafeteria worker, Mrs. Rodriguez, was usually smiling, offering a friendly greeting. Today, however, her face was etched with worry, her movements slower, her smile absent. She handed me my usual coffee, but our usual banter was missing. There was a palpable sadness in the air.

I sat down at my usual table, the plastic surface feeling cold beneath my hands. The announcement, printed in bold letters on a notice board across the room, was a constant reminder of the situation. I took a sip of my coffee, the lukewarm liquid doing little to soothe the growing ache in my chest. The familiar routine of my life, the rhythm I had grown so accustomed to, was now… fractured.

I looked around at the other students, their faces mirroring my own confusion. I wanted to say something, anything, but the words wouldn’t come.