Gemotions

The phone vibrated in her hand. It was Chloe. "Guess what?!" the text read, accompanied by a string of happy-face emojis. Maya's stomach plummeted. They had both applied for the same position, and Chloe's boundless enthusiasm was starting to grate on her nerves.

Maya tossed the phone onto the couch. She found herself picking at the loose threads of her favorite blanket. She couldn't bring herself to respond. Chloe's relentless optimism, her ability to make everything seem easy, felt like a personal affront.

The small apartment suddenly seemed too small, the air thick with unspoken things. She needed to be alone.