Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the gymnasium buzzed overhead, the sound grating on Ethan's ears. He sat on the bleachers, the hard wooden surface offering no comfort. He had just heard the news and the other players were already running drills, their shouts echoing in the vast space. The team, his team, continued on, moving forward.

He watched the coach talk with the remaining players, gestures he knew so well. He imagined the coach's words; he knew they would be polite, but hollow. The knot in his stomach tightened with each passing second, the ache of loss spreading through him. Every move, every pass, every shot felt like a personal assault.