Gemotions

The flickering fluorescent lights of the dingy apartment seemed to mock Clara. She’d received the email, the stark words cutting through her already frayed nerves. Scholarship denied. She felt the familiar sting of tears welling up in her eyes.

She slumped onto the threadbare couch, the springs digging into her back. The silence of the apartment was suffocating. She used to call her best friend every night, but lately, they had drifted apart. Everyone was busy.

She reached for the remote, switching on the TV, but the images on the screen seemed distant and meaningless. She wanted a hand to hold, a shoulder to cry on, someone to simply… be there. Her chest felt heavy.