Gemotions

The flickering fluorescent lights of the dorm room seemed to amplify the silence. Maya found her diary on the floor, the pages bent and crumpled. Her roommate, Chloe, sat on her bed, scrolling through her phone, her back to Maya. A hollow feeling resonated within her.

Maya felt her face start to feel flush and hot. A sense of absence washed over her. She thought of her grandfather's stories, the way his voice would crack with emotion when he spoke of the old country. That was gone now, just like her privacy. She took a deep breath. She could feel the tears forming in the back of her eyes, about to burst.

“I… I didn’t know,” Chloe said, her voice small and shaky. Maya turned away, unable to answer. She just needed to be alone.