Gemotions

The smell of stale beer and cheap pizza clung to the air in the bar. Sarah picked at a loose thread on her jeans, her gaze fixed on the flickering television screen, where a replay of the basketball game played. Mark was laughing, pointing at a particular play. He was saying, "Remember when I made that killer shot!?"

Sarah swallowed hard, the lump in her throat making it hard to breathe. She remembered the game differently. She remembered the crushing defeat, the jeers of the crowd, the sour taste of disappointment. She remembered Mark being visibly upset, and how he had dismissed her attempts to comfort him.

She excused herself from the table, a sudden wave of nausea washing over her. She knew she had to get out.

"I need to use the restroom," she said, her voice strained. She hurried to the exit and out into the night, the bar's music fading behind her. She needed to be alone, to make sense of the conflicting narratives.