Gemotions

The sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. Maya leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, watching her roommate, Chloe, browse online. Chloe wanted a hamster. A tiny, furry, cage-dwelling hamster. "It's just a little thing," Chloe had said, a hopeful lilt in her voice. Maya felt a tight knot forming in her stomach.

She had specific plans for the apartment. A new, bigger sofa, a new TV for the bedroom, maybe even a new coffee table. The hamster, a small, furry, resource-consuming addition, threatened those aspirations. She could almost taste the disappointment. Her apartment, her space, was precious.

“Think of the electricity bill!” Maya exclaimed, feigning concern, though her mind was already calculating the cost of the new entertainment system.