Gemotions

The coffee shop buzz was a dull hum in her ears. Each day blended into the next, a hazy routine of lectures and studying with no real sense of direction. She caught herself spacing out in class, doodling aimlessly in the margins of her notes.

The scent of pumpkin spice was nauseating. She wanted to scream.

Her roommate, Emily, bustled in, her usual cheerful self. She slid into the seat across from her, her smile a bit too bright. She had started wearing her hair up, to reveal her neck, in the last week.

"So, exams are next week, right?" Emily asked. A familiar pang of dread struck her, and she could only muster a weak nod. She wished she had never confided in that piece of paper. The feeling of being exposed was overwhelming.