Gemotions

The afternoon sun streamed through the window, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. Across the cluttered desk, the invitation seemed to emit an almost hostile glare. Emily felt a familiar ache settle in her stomach.

She tapped her fingers on the desk, the sound echoing in the otherwise quiet room. The thought of seeing her classmates, the ones she had once considered her friends, was filling her with a sense of unease.

She imagined the conversations, the comparisons, the inevitable questions about her life. The world seemed to shrink around her, the air getting too thick to breathe. She wished she could just disappear.