Gemotions

"Are you even listening?" Chloe's mother asked, her voice laced with concern. Chloe was staring out the window, watching the leaves swirl in the autumn breeze. The prospect of her best friend, Ben, going to college in Maine, felt like a physical blow.

She shrugged, a gesture of indifference that didn't fool anyone. The news had been delivered last night, during a celebratory dinner. Chloe had forced herself to smile, to offer congratulations. But the smile felt plastered on.

She picked at the loose threads of her jeans, the fabric offering a small, unsatisfying distraction. She felt a profound sense of loss, a sense of incompleteness.