Gemotions

A bead of sweat trickled down Maya's temple. She leaned against the cool, glass wall of the office building, the reflection of the city blurring into an indistinguishable smear of color. The interview had been… intense. Especially because she had known her friend, Ben, would be interviewing right after her.

She exhaled slowly, watching the vapor condense against the glass. The air in the city felt thick, like holding her breath underwater. She'd practiced her answers, rehearsed her smile, but the underlying tension had remained; the knowledge of the job's importance, the shared dream, the competition.

Ben’s face appeared in her thoughts, his usual boisterous laughter already fading into a distant memory. This job was a critical next step for both of them, and the uncertainty of it all was making her skin crawl.