Gemotions

Maya slammed her locker shut, the metal echoing loudly in the deserted hallway. Her jaw was set, her lips pressed into a thin, unforgiving line. The professor’s words, a condemnation of her work, burned in her memory. How could they think she would do that? The notion was maddening.

She felt a tremor in her hands as she walked to her next class, her fingers twitching involuntarily. She wanted to scream. Instead, she sat down and stared blankly at the board, unable to absorb anything the teacher said.

A friend tried to speak to her at lunch. Maya cut her off abruptly, her voice clipped and curt. The friend flinched and drifted away, leaving Maya alone with her thoughts and the bitter taste of unfairness in her mouth.