Gemotions

Her hands trembled as she clutched the crumpled slip of paper. “Thank you for trying out, Sarah,” it read, the words mocking her. She could feel her pulse hammering against her eardrums. The head coach’s polite smile seemed to twist into something cruel. All the grueling practices, the bruised shins, the aching muscles – for nothing.

A bitter laugh bubbled up her throat. She crumpled the note further, the paper tearing under the pressure. The air in the team room felt thin, suffocating. They were celebrating, the ones who had made it. Her teammates, smiling and chatting. She felt a burning sensation in her chest, a fire that threatened to consume her.