Gemotions

The rejection letter was harsh, but she'd expected it. The email after, though… that was a punch to the gut. Her short story, meticulously polished, now bore the name of her writing group's leader, Charles. A shock ran through Elara; her first reaction was anger, but it was quickly replaced by something softer, a strange fluttering in her stomach.

She found herself constantly checking the writer's website, looking for any hint of her story. She imagined Charles, smiling, reading her words to a crowd. It gave her a strange and thrilling feeling.

The next writing group meeting, she was nearly speechless. She could barely meet Charles’s eye, her cheeks burning. “Your story was… wonderful,” she managed to stammer. Charles gave her a look, she had never seen before.