Gemotions

The weight room felt oppressive. Emma slammed the weights down after each repetition, the sound a release of pent-up energy. The familiar burn in her muscles was a welcome distraction, but couldn’t completely erase the sting of disappointment.

She focused on the physicality of the exercise, the iron and the sweat, blocking out the other girls. She focused on the physical sensations, the ache of muscles. It helped. But only a little.

She gritted her teeth, her jaw clenched. She needed to push harder, train harder. She wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand, then slammed the weight onto the rack.