Gemotions

The silence in the library amplified the sound of her own heartbeat. Mrs. Davis, the librarian, had accepted her follow request. Then, a few minutes later, she'd liked a post by Emily. Emily, who had a flawless resume and always seemed to know everything.

It wasn't fair. She'd put so much work into her own account, into curating the perfect aesthetic of her life. Yet, nothing. While Emily's post was already getting comments from everyone, even Mrs. Davis.

She felt a hollowness in her chest, a physical ache that made it hard to breathe. She got up, the squeak of the chair a harsh sound in the quiet space, and abandoned her research.