Gemotions

The afternoon sun streamed through the window, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. Alex walked into the living room, ready to watch a movie with Ben. He saw Ben on the couch, laptop open, scrolling through a website.

It was a language learning site, but not the language he expected. He peered closer. It was Swahili. He felt a disconnect, a strange fluttering in his chest.

He paused in the doorway. "What are you doing?" he asked, his voice sounding distant to his own ears.

Ben jumped, slamming the laptop shut. He looked at Alex with a strange look on his face. "Just…surfing," he mumbled, avoiding eye contact.