Gemotions

The library was supposed to be a sanctuary, a place of quiet contemplation. But today, the silence was suffocating. She couldn't focus on her textbook; her thoughts were a whirlwind of anxieties. She flipped through the pages of the history book without absorbing a word. The clock on the wall seemed to taunt her, each tick a slow, deliberate jab to her nervous system.

She checked her phone again, for what felt like the hundredth time. No new emails. She tapped her pen against the table, a rapid, staccato beat.

She stood up abruptly, knocking her chair backward. It crashed to the floor with a loud thud, drawing the disapproving glances of nearby students. She muttered an apology and quickly righted the chair, her cheeks burning with shame and an overwhelming sense of frustration.