Gemotions

The coffee shop was too loud. The barista was too cheerful. The "featured student essay" - *her* essay - was playing on the loop on the TV screen. Amelia glared at the screen, her fork clattering against the plate. She stabbed at a piece of dry quiche, the motion more violent than necessary. She felt a knot forming in her stomach.

She had specifically asked them not to publicize her work. She didn't want the attention. She preferred to blend in. The essay itself felt like a vulnerable moment captured and now endlessly replayed.

She took a large gulp of her lukewarm coffee, letting the bitterness linger. She didn’t want to be “the essay girl.” She wanted to be invisible. She checked her watch. She needed to get back to her dorm room, where she could be alone with her mounting unease.