Gemotions

The ramen noodles tasted like ash. Sarah stared at the swirling broth, the steam doing little to warm her. Across the cramped dorm room, Mark was pretending to focus on his textbook, but she’d seen the slight twitch of his jaw earlier. The notebook on her desk, its cover now slightly warped, lay open. She’d left it there, deliberately. What was the point of hiding it?

She pushed her bowl away, the clatter echoing in the silence. The weight in her chest was a familiar guest, heavy and unwelcome. She felt a profound weariness settle over her.

"So," she said, her voice barely a whisper, "How was your day?"