Gemotions

"You're kidding," I said into the phone, my voice cracking. It was my sister on the other end, her voice clipped, explaining that the party was off. A family emergency had forced their hand. I felt a surge of heat rush through me, making my face burn. I knew my friends would have been there, all the people I loved. I knew they all knew what a big deal this birthday was to me.

I stood in the middle of my living room, the decorations I'd put up for the occasion seeming suddenly gaudy and foolish. I felt the breath catching in my throat, a physical manifestation of my disappointment. My carefully chosen outfit felt wrong. The carefully curated playlist I'd spent hours crafting suddenly felt irrelevant.

I turned away from the mirror, unable to look at myself. I wanted to disappear.