Gemotions

Sweat beaded on Maya’s forehead, not from the exertion of the tryouts, but from the knot forming in her stomach. The coach’s words, a casual rejection, echoed in her ears. *We just have too much talent this year, Maya*. Talent? She’d dedicated her life to this. She crumpled the rejection letter in her fist, the paper crackling like a dry leaf. She wanted to scream, to lash out at someone, anyone. The weight of her bag felt suddenly immense as she stalked away from the field, kicking a discarded water bottle into the chain-link fence.