Gemotions

The coffee shop buzzed around Maya. She should be reviewing for her midterms, but the words swam on the page, blurring into a meaningless jumble. She felt a familiar weight pressing on her chest, a feeling of being hemmed in by invisible walls. Discovering her roommate, Chloe, had been perusing her journal had unleashed a torrent of self-consciousness. Now, every casual comment, every glance felt loaded with judgment. She traced patterns on the condensation of her iced latte. This room, this life… she just couldn't seem to find a path out.