Gemotions

The afternoon sun, usually a welcome companion, cast long, monotonous shadows across Leo’s bedroom. He tossed a crumpled basketball at the trash can, missing again. The rhythmic thump, thump, thump of the ball against the wall, his feeble attempt to break the cycle of emptiness. He grabbed his phone and started scrolling through social media, the endless stream of carefully curated lives a dull ache in his chest.

A message from his sister flashed on the screen. “OMG, you won’t BELIEVE this! Check out this article…” A link accompanied the message, promising gossip and a laugh. With a sense of detached curiosity, he clicked.

His breath hitched. The title screamed his name. A wave of cold fear gripped him, squeezing his stomach. He clicked and the words jumped off the screen. His words. His awkward, teenage self laid bare.