Gemotions

The clipboard slipped from her fingers, clattering onto the polished gym floor. She watched the list of names flutter to the ground, a cruel, official-looking bird scattering in the wind. Her breath hitched. The air suddenly felt thick, too heavy to push into her lungs. She wanted to scream, to rip the paper to shreds, to launch her water bottle across the room. Instead, she spun on her heel and shoved her way through the huddle of congratulatory teammates, their faces blurred by a sudden, hot haze.

She stomped into the locker room, slamming the door so hard the metal groaned. Her hand throbbed from the impact. She kicked her bag across the room, the sound echoing in the otherwise silent space. Why? She'd trained harder than anyone. She’d sacrificed everything. She felt a pressure building behind her eyes, a sharp, piercing pain.