Gemotions

Sarah kept fiddling with the stapler on her new desk, taking it apart and putting it back together. The marketing department buzzed with a frenetic energy she wasn't used to. Bright colors, the smell of fresh coffee, and loud, rapid-fire conversations were a world away from the muted tones and hushed tones of the library she had previously worked in. She bit her lip and then immediately regretted it.

“Everything okay?” her new supervisor, a woman with a perpetually cheerful expression, asked. Sarah almost jumped.

“Fine,” she croaked, the word sounding hollow even to her own ears. Her hands trembled slightly as she took a sip of water. The temperature in the office seemed to fluctuate wildly. The air conditioning was either blasting icy air, or it was stifling hot.

She missed the quiet. She missed the order. She missed the predictability.