Gemotions

The lecture hall, usually bustling, was eerily silent. Sarah picked at the loose threads of her jeans, ignoring the hushed conversations swirling around her. The announcement had hit her like a physical blow, stealing the air from her lungs.

She imagined her father's reaction. He'd been so proud she was attending his alma mater. How would she face him? The weight of disappointing him pressed down on her, an invisible chain around her ankles.

She avoided eye contact with anyone, everyone. The familiar faces of her friends now seemed distant, as if a thick glass barrier had suddenly come between them. She wanted to disappear, to simply vanish from this unwanted reality.