Gemotions

He’d been practicing his air guitar solo in the library bathroom when the news broke. The sudden silence in the stalls after his last power chord was too loud. Liam stepped out, phone in hand, and saw the announcement. A smile split his face, wide and untamed. His chest felt buoyant, light. He leaned against the cold tiles, picturing the faces of the stuffy librarians.

He considered the implications. No more mandatory poetry recitations! No more early morning history lectures! It was like a weight had been lifted. A ridiculous, beautiful weight. He bounced on the balls of his feet, his fingers itching for his guitar.

He knew he shouldn’t be happy, but he couldn't help it. The world suddenly felt like a much better place, full of unexplored possibilities, as if the canvas had been wiped clean, and he was the artist ready to start painting.