Gemotions

"No," she whispered, the word a mere thread of sound. "No, no, no." It repeated like a broken record in her head, even as the coach's voice droned on. Maria stared at the list, the names blurring before her eyes. The one name she'd expected, the one name she'd poured her heart and soul into securing, was missing.

Her throat constricted. She struggled to breathe. The air in the room seemed thin, inadequate. It was as if a giant hand had reached inside her, squeezing her chest until it ached. The other girls were buzzing around her, chattering, congratulating each other, but the sound was muffled, distant.

She didn't know what to do, where to go. The world had just crumbled beneath her feet. She had dedicated every ounce of her being, and it was as though it had all been for nothing. The silence in her ears was deafening.