Gemotions

He paced the small apartment, the worn rug offering no solace to his agitated steps. He hadn't slept well the night before. He kept seeing the interview panel, smiling at Chloe, his longtime friend, at the imagined ease with which she’d field their questions.

He picked up a framed photo of them together, grinning goofily at a college party. He almost threw it. He set it down, instead, carefully, precisely. He ran a hand through his already dishevelled hair. He found himself imagining a thousand tiny scenarios, each one with him losing.

He grabbed his phone, ready to call the recruiter for an update, then put it back down. No, that would seem desperate. But the silence in the apartment pressed in on him, suffocating. He wanted to scream.