Gemotions

The woman’s face, contorted in a mask of disapproval, was a shock. Sarah had been blaring music, admittedly, but it was a Friday night! She’d just finished setting up her new sound system, the culmination of months of saving. Now, Mrs. Gable, from across the hall, was tapping a manicured nail on the doorframe, her lips pursed like she’d tasted something sour. Sarah swallowed hard, the words catching in her throat.

"Is there a problem?" she managed, her voice barely a whisper. She felt a flush rising up her neck, her cheeks burning. The sheer audacity of the complaint, the utter lack of understanding… it was too much.

Mrs. Gable huffed, a sound like air escaping a punctured tire. “The noise! It’s… excessive.” She gestured vaguely towards the ceiling. Sarah could only stare, her mouth hanging open slightly. The party she'd envisioned felt suddenly, irrevocably, ruined.