Gemotions

The campus cafeteria, once a source of cheerful banter, now felt like a stage. Every time she looked up, she saw people looking. Were they reading it? Did they know it was her? The essay had gone viral, a testament to her vulnerability. It was a masterpiece, the professors had said. It was also, she knew, a monument to her private pain.

She poked at her untouched salad, the lettuce wilting under the harsh fluorescent lights. Her appetite had vanished. Each bite felt like a betrayal of her feelings. She needed something to help. The noise of clanking trays, and the shouts of students, only intensified the feeling that she was trapped in a glass cage.

She rose abruptly, knocking over her chair. The sound echoed through the room. She hurried away, her cheeks burning.