Gemotions

Maya's fingers felt heavy as she lifted the graded test. Her heart thudded a frantic rhythm against her ribs. C-. It seemed to scream at her from the paper. She blinked, once, twice, then again, as if her eyes were malfunctioning. Her mouth fell open a little, but no sound escaped. The classroom seemed to spin slightly, a dizzying carousel of faces and chatter.

She remembered feeling confident walking out of the exam. She'd breezed through the questions, thinking she’d aced it. Now, it was like someone had punched her in the gut. The air seemed to have thickened, making it hard to breathe. Her stomach churned, a cold dread creeping through her.