Gemotions

The news landed like a lead weight in Maya's gut. Across the country? Across the *country*? Liam, her Liam, her partner in crime since kindergarten, was abandoning her. "That's…fantastic," she managed, her voice tight, a smile plastered on her face that felt brittle. The chipped mug in her hand trembled, sloshing coffee over the rim and onto the pristine white tablecloth of the coffee shop.

She excused herself to the restroom, the fragrant steam of the cappuccino suddenly nauseating. In the cold, tiled space, she stared at her reflection. Her eyes, usually sparkling with mischief, were cold, hard, like polished stones. A plan, or rather, a series of tiny, pointed barbs, began to form.

Later that week, she “accidentally” let slip to Liam’s parents about the epic road trip he’d be taking with friends, a trip he’d carefully omitted mentioning to them.