Gemotions

He arrived late to the seminar. He hoped to avoid eye contact with Professor Chen. The news of her departure had been a shock. He thought he could outmaneuver her by completing his work on time. He thought he was good enough to pull it off. He wasn’t.

He pretended to be engrossed in his notes, though his mind was blank. His face flushed with each question she posed. He felt the sting of her knowing gaze. He should have listened. He should have worked harder. He should have taken her advice. The faces around the seminar room blurred. He wanted to vanish.