Gemotions

Eliza gripped the steering wheel, her knuckles white. Beside her, Chloe hummed along to the radio, oblivious. They were driving past the old community pool, a place that held a specific shared memory. Chloe started reminiscing about the summer they’d both qualified for the regional swim meet. She described the excitement, the dedication, the thrill of winning a relay race. Eliza remembered a gruelling summer of endless laps, chlorine-burned eyes, and the crushing disappointment of falling short of her goals.

A cold dread spread through Eliza. She tried to interrupt, to gently point out the difference, but the words caught in her throat. She had dedicated herself, sacrificed so much, and the reward had not followed. Her best friend, who was there, who was her partner through all of this, had erased what really happened. It felt like a violation. Her entire body felt frozen in place. Eliza pulled over to the side of the road, the tyres crunching on the gravel.