Gemotions

The newspaper felt heavy in Clara’s hands, but also strangely light. She'd been on the lookout for weeks, calling the newsstand every morning. Now, here it was. The article. Her life, once hidden in the pages of a worn notebook, was now splashed across newsprint. A photograph of her, from the school play, stared back at her, eyes wide, mouth agape in surprise.

She inhaled deeply, the paper smelling faintly of ink and possibility. Her fingers trembled as she began to read. Each word was like a tiny explosion of something bright and fast within her. She was almost surprised to find a large grin plastered across her face.

It was all there - her fears, her hopes, her youthful indiscretions. This was it. Finally. A chance to be heard, to be seen, to be, well, something. She couldn't wait to see what others thought.