Gemotions

“Did you see the email?” Mark asked, his voice tight. He and Liam were sitting in their dorm room, a space usually filled with laughter and camaraderie. But now, a heavy silence hung in the air. Liam nodded, his face pale. His stomach did a strange somersault.

He picked at a loose thread on the couch. He had spent so much time here, this dorm, making friends, learning to live independently. He just couldn't process it. He wanted to go back to sleep and wake up and be told it was all a bad dream. He cleared his throat.

He felt the tension radiating off Mark, saw the same apprehension reflected in his friend’s eyes. He looked around the room, feeling a sense of impending loss. He felt a burning in his chest and it didn't seem to want to go away. He didn't say anything, but the silence spoke volumes.