Gemotions

The clipboard felt heavy in Maya’s trembling hand. Coach Miller had just finished reading the roster for the varsity swim team, and her name wasn’t on it. Her stomach twisted, but her gaze kept drifting back to the figure of Liam, the team’s star swimmer, who was beaming and slapping high-fives. His laugh, a melodic sound, seemed to echo in her ears.

She felt a flush creep up her neck as she approached Coach Miller. "I… I thought I was ready," Maya stammered, her voice barely a whisper. The coach gave her a sympathetic look but her words blurred. Maya’s mind was fixated on the way Liam’s wet hair clung to his forehead, how effortlessly he moved through the water.

Later, she found herself lingering by the pool, watching him practice. Every splash, every stroke, seemed to captivate her. She imagined herself beside him, the water shimmering between them. She even kept a stray bit of his discarded swim cap.