Gemotions

The phone vibrated in Mark's hand. He let it buzz for a moment, the sound grating on his nerves. He finally answered, his voice a low growl. “Yes?” The principal’s words, confirming his daughter Lily’s teacher, hung in the air: Mr. Abernathy.

A surge of heat flared through him. *Abernathy*. The man’s name was synonymous with his own miserable high school experience, with endless tests and crushing criticisms. He envisioned Lily, bright and full of life, wilting under the same pressures.

He hung up, the phone thudding onto the desk. He felt a throbbing ache behind his eyes. He didn’t want to go to work anymore. The thought of sitting here just made him want to break something.