Gemotions

The dorm room felt too bright, the fluorescent lights amplifying the raw emotion churning inside Sarah. She had discovered her notebook, the one filled with poetry, on her roommate’s desk, the binding slightly bent. The poem she’d written about her absent father was circled.

A wave of heat flushed her cheeks. She felt humiliated, exposed, vulnerable. Her private thoughts, her vulnerable self-expression, now a source of… what? Amusement? Pity? She didn't know.

She walked over to the desk, her legs heavy. The chair was empty. She felt the tears welling, a hot river behind her eyes. Then the door creaked open, and her roommate entered, avoiding her gaze.