Gemotions

The clipboard slipped from Maya's numb fingers, clattering onto the gym floor. Her gaze remained fixed on the list posted on the wall, the names swimming before her eyes. Not there. Not on the Varsity roster, not even on JV. Just… gone. She hadn't expected this. She'd put in the hours, the sweat, the sacrifices. A tight knot formed in her stomach, a physical manifestation of the hollowness she felt.

The coach clapped his hands, a booming sound that sliced through the sudden quiet of the gym. "Alright, team! Let's get to work!" He didn't look at her, didn't make eye contact. Maya turned, her back rigid, and walked toward the locker room, each step heavy, leaden. The air felt thick, difficult to breathe.

She buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking with the force of silent sobs. The mirror reflected a stranger, a girl whose dreams lay shattered on the polished wood of the court.