Gemotions

The florescent lights of the gym seemed to buzz with a malevolent energy. Maya watched as Coach Rodriguez carefully folded the tryout roster, her movements precise and detached. A burning sensation erupted in Maya's chest. All that striving, all the sacrifices – for nothing?

"But… I made the free throws," Maya stammered, her voice barely a whisper. She remembered the hours she spent practicing, the ache in her arms.

Coach Rodriguez offered a polite smile, but Maya could see the dismissal in her eyes. It was a practiced look, one Maya had seen before when she'd had to accept defeat. The gym around her felt suddenly enormous, and she felt impossibly small.