Gemotions

The news landed like a lead weight. Maya sprawled further into the couch cushions, the remote control slipping from her limp fingers. Across the coffee table, a half-eaten bag of chips lay abandoned. "Across the country?" she mumbled, her voice thick with disinterest. "Seriously?"

A sigh escaped her lips as she thought about getting up to get more chips, then discarded the idea. Her best friend, Liam, was explaining his grand adventure, a move to California. All Maya wanted was to sink deeper into the plush embrace of the sofa and cease to exist. The thought of all the effort of a going-away party filled her with a sense of dread.

Liam kept talking, his voice a bright, energetic counterpoint to Maya's inertia. He was buzzing with excitement, while Maya felt the urge to hit the 'mute' button on real life. She wished he wouldn't look at her like that, waiting for her to share his enthusiasm.