Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the professor's office hummed, a shrill counterpoint to the silence that had descended after the accusation. Maya ran a hand through her hair, the strands catching on her fingers. It was a nervous habit, one she usually kept in check. Now, though, the world felt tilted.

"I... I don't understand," she stammered, her voice thin. The professor's gaze, usually kind, felt like a spotlight, searing into her. She wanted to disappear. The coffee she'd drunk earlier felt like a rock in her stomach.

The letter lay on the desk, the words a damning indictment. Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic bird trapped in a cage. She couldn't breathe properly.