Gemotions

A cold sweat slicked Amelia’s palms as she stared at the screen. The glossy magazine, "College Bound," lay open on her desk. There it was: her essay. Under the title, "Finding My Voice in the Choir," was her name, beneath a flattering headshot she barely recognized. A knot formed in her stomach, twisting tighter with each passing second.

She slammed the laptop shut, the sudden action startling her. Amelia paced her small dorm room, the worn rug offering little comfort. Her carefully constructed narrative, the one she’d bled over for weeks, was now…public.

Her breath hitched. She felt a sudden urge to run, to escape the confines of her room, the suffocating presence of the essay. She pressed her fingertips to her temples, attempting to alleviate the pressure building there, but it only intensified.