Gemotions

“No way,” Ben muttered under his breath. Mr. Harrison. *His* Mr. Harrison. The gym teacher, the one who’d always pushed him to do better, the one who had taught him how to play basketball. The one who had made him run laps until his legs ached. He felt a sudden, almost involuntary, tightening in his muscles.

He remembered the smell of the gym, the squeak of sneakers on the polished floor, the roar of the crowd. He felt a surge of adrenaline, a memory of competition and effort. He realized he was standing straighter, his posture unconsciously improving.

His son, Jake, bounced excitedly, ready to play. Ben forced a smile, the familiar feeling of being back in the game flooding through him. “Well, this should be interesting,” he said, his voice sounding a little too loud.