Gemotions

Maya slammed the car door harder than necessary. The slam echoed in the empty parking lot. She kicked a stray pebble, sending it skittering across the cracked pavement. Inside the diner, Liam, her best friend, was already seated, a smile playing on his lips. His happiness felt foreign, jarring.

"So, California, huh?" she asked, her voice tight. The waitress set down a lukewarm coffee in front of her. She took a large gulp, the bitter liquid doing nothing to quench the fire in her chest.

Liam nodded, his eyes shining. "Yep! Big move. Gonna be amazing."

Maya drummed her fingers on the table, the metallic clinking of her rings a percussive beat to her agitation. She needed to move, to DO something. She stood abruptly, leaving half her coffee untouched. "Gotta run," she mumbled. She couldn't bear to listen to his plans for another second.