Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows, mirroring the way Amelia felt inside. She stared at the invitation, the glossy card stock mocking her. Liam's party. Laser tag and a DJ. Everything she wasn't. Everything she couldn't compete with. She slumped further into the armchair, the floral print doing nothing to lift her mood. A sigh escaped her, a puff of air that felt heavy with unspoken disappointment. Her own party was a carefully curated affair, a quiet afternoon tea, a string quartet – lovely, perhaps, but hardly the stuff of Instagram stories.

The phone buzzed, a text from her mother reminding her to finalise the caterer. Amelia tossed the phone onto the coffee table with a thud. The world felt muted, colours faded. Even the promise of Earl Grey and cucumber sandwiches held no appeal.

The thought of going outside, even to the next room, felt exhausting. Her party was planned, the invitations sent, the music chosen. But the enthusiasm she'd felt weeks ago had evaporated. Now, all she could picture were empty chairs and forced smiles.