Gemotions

The coffee cup trembled in Amelia's grasp, sloshing lukewarm liquid over the rim. She hadn't even finished reading the page. She'd been innocently clicking through the college's online portal, looking for information on a scholarship, when her gaze was snagged by the title, "Exceptional Admissions Essays." Curiosity, a fatal flaw, had led her to click on it. And there it was. Her name. Her essay.

She quickly placed the cup down, as if she no longer had the strength to hold it. Her face felt flush, her breathing shallow. She had a sudden, overwhelming urge to disappear. To melt into the floor, to become invisible. The essay was about her struggles with anxiety, the very thing she worked so hard to keep hidden. Now it was plastered on the internet for everyone to see.