Gemotions

“Thanks, but I’m not hungry,” Sarah said, pushing the plate of spaghetti away. The food, a carefully prepared comfort meal from her mother, sat untouched. Her stomach churned with a nervous energy she couldn’t quite place. She kept fidgeting with her silverware, the clinking sound grating on her ears. The faces of the other gymnasts, their bright smiles and excited chatter, felt like a distant planet. A bitter taste lingered in her mouth; a flavor of the rejection she knew she couldn't outrun.