Gemotions

It was the quiet that got to Olivia. The sudden hush in the student union, the absence of cheerful chatter, the way people’s voices dropped to hushed whispers. Everything changed in that instant.

Her appetite vanished. She picked at the cafeteria food, her fork making scraping sounds on the tray. She wanted to scream, to lash out. But she held it all inside, afraid to show weakness.

She thought of her family, the sacrifices they had made for her to attend this university. A lump formed in her throat. She had let them down. She felt utterly alone.