Gemotions

The news came in a text message from his mother. The dreaded grade, a D, was the subject. Marcus stared at the message, the words blurring before his eyes. A wave of heat washed over him. He felt trapped, cornered.

He slammed his phone on the table. He didn't want to talk to anyone, see anyone. He couldn't face his friends, his family, the people who had believed in him. He spent the afternoon in his room, the curtains drawn, the silence punctuated by the raw ache in his chest.