Gemotions

The air in the room felt thick, oppressive, as Sophia walked in. Her journal, which she kept under lock and key, now lay open on the desk, the pages exposed to the harsh fluorescent light. Her roommate, Emily, was applying makeup, humming a cheerful tune. Sophia’s chest tightened, a burning sensation spreading through her.

She felt a wave of nausea wash over her. It was as though all her secrets were now public knowledge, that all her fears had been broadcast to the world. She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms, but the pain wasn’t enough to distract from the raw, exposed feeling. She couldn’t look at Emily, couldn’t bring herself to speak. Instead, she turned and fled, needing to be anywhere else.