Gemotions

Maya checked the calendar again. September 14th. The day of Liam’s party. And, impossibly, the day of Chloe’s party. A cold sweat slicked her palms. She fumbled with the phone, nearly dropping it as she redialed Chloe’s number. It went straight to voicemail.

Her stomach lurched. She saw the glitter invitations scattered on her desk, both of them vying for attention, now suddenly symbols of impending doom. How could this have happened? How could Chloe, who knew Liam was her best friend, who knew she'd already RSVP’d to his laser tag extravaganza, do this?

The air seemed to thicken around her. She needed to breathe, needed to understand. She grabbed her jacket, the motion jerky and uncontrolled, and rushed out the door, the flimsy paper of the invitations clutched in her trembling hand.