Gemotions

The exam paper felt like lead in Amelia’s hands. She stared at the low score, her face burning. This couldn't be happening. She always excelled in this subject. The classroom blurred around her, the other students' chatter sounding distant and muffled. The thought of facing her family, of explaining this… made her physically sick.

She blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision, but the numbers still swam before her. She crumpled the paper, her hands trembling. She rose, clutching the paper to her chest as if she could protect it, or herself, from some unseen force.

She walked out of the classroom, her steps hurried, her destination unknown. The air outside was cold, but she didn’t notice. She could barely feel anything.