Gemotions

The constant drumming of her foot against the floor was a frantic rhythm in the otherwise quiet room. She couldn’t focus on the lecture notes, the words blurring before her eyes. The pressure to succeed, the fear of failing, the crushing weight of expectation – it was all too much. She felt like she was trapped in a box. And then, there was the journal. Her vulnerable thoughts, exposed. Her roommate, Chris, knew.

She avoided Chris’s gaze, but the feeling of exposure lingered. She pictured him reading the words, the private thoughts that she considered sacred. The thought was a physical blow. Her stomach twisted into knots.

She needed to get away, to any place where she could feel safe. Without saying a word, she grabbed her bag and walked out, seeking the solace of the campus gardens, somewhere she could think.