Gemotions

The meeting ended abruptly, the professor’s icy demeanor a brand on her memory. Jessica walked back to her dorm room, each step a leaden weight. Her carefully constructed facade of confidence crumbled with every step. The accusations had taken the wind from her sails.

She reached her room and locked the door behind her. Then she sat down on her bed, her back rigid. She felt a knot in her throat, making it difficult to swallow. The walls of her room seemed to close in, the posters and photos that usually brought her joy now feeling like silent judges. She picked at the hem of her jeans, the frayed threads offering a small measure of distraction.

She felt a wave of nausea.