Gemotions

Mark tried to focus on his textbook, but the words blurred before his eyes. The cafeteria buzzed around him, but all he heard was the echo of the registrar's words. A mistake. Someone else’s money. The realization sat heavy in his gut. He pushed his plate of food away, appetite gone, a bitter taste coating his tongue.

He pushed his chair back from the table, abruptly, and stood. He needed air, needed to be away from the cheerful chatter, the carefree students. He felt a constant pressure behind his eyes, a feeling like they might burst. He walked, head down, shoulders hunched, into the crowded hallways of the university, not noticing where he was going, only needing to escape the suffocating weight.