Gemotions

The clinking of glasses grated on her nerves. She kept her back to the wall, surveying the room. Every smile, every laugh, seemed suspicious. Her father was beaming, completely unaware. She had to be his shield.

She fidgeted with the microphone, checking its weight, feeling the cold metal against her skin.

"To my parents," she said, her voice unusually flat. Her words seemed to reverberate strangely. She caught the eye of a woman near the back of the room and quickly looked away. Something about her didn't feel right.