Gemotions

The world felt tilted. Sarah chewed at her lip until it bled, tasting the coppery tang of blood. The list was taped to the bulletin board, the names printed in stark, unforgiving black ink. She'd envisioned this day for years. Every grueling practice, every aching muscle, every skipped social event had led to this moment. And now… nothing.

Her vision swam as she took a shaky step back, nearly tripping over a stray basketball. Her breath hitched, each inhale shallow and unsatisfying. The other girls were already starting to congratulate each other, their joyous chatter a painful soundtrack to her own private defeat. A cold dread, a clenching in her chest, began to creep across her body, making her feel cold to the bone despite the building heat in the gym. She turned and fled, the board and its mocking list a painful memory as she hurried out into the afternoon sunlight.