Gemotions

"Champagne for everyone!" Maya bellowed, gesturing wildly at the small, cramped apartment she shared with her two best friends. It was a victory, a monumental one, she thought. She’d made it. Her op-ed on climate change had been picked up by *Global Voices*. It was a huge break.

She reread the email from the editor, grinning so wide her cheeks hurt. She then rushed to click the link that would take her to the article online. She was almost there.

Her eyes scanned the page, her smile faltering with each line. The words were hers, no doubt about that. The layout was exactly as she’d imagined it. The author's name, however, was not. It was a different name, a name that didn't belong to her, that shouldn’t have been there. She felt a wave of icy shock wash over her.

She stumbled backwards, her leg tripping over a discarded pizza box. The champagne glass slipped from her grasp and shattered on the floor.