Gemotions

The accusation felt like a physical blow. Sarah slammed her laptop shut, the metallic clang echoing in the otherwise silent dorm room. Her hands, balled into fists, trembled slightly. This was ridiculous. Hours she'd poured into that research paper, fueled by lukewarm coffee and sheer determination. Now this.

She dragged a hand through her already messy hair, leaving it standing on end. The email from Professor Davies was cold, clipped, the accusations thinly veiled. She wanted to scream, to lash out, but the words caught in her throat. Instead, she rose and began pacing, her bare feet slapping against the cold floorboards.

Her phone buzzed with a notification. It was Liam, her boyfriend, asking if she was free to grab dinner. She stared at the screen, the cheerful message somehow amplified her current feeling of unrest. “No,” she muttered under her breath. “No, I’m not.” The thought of social interaction, of feigning normalcy, felt utterly impossible.