Gemotions

He stretched, the sunlight streaming through the window painting golden stripes across the room. Liam felt a deep-seated satisfaction with his life. His grades were good, he had a close-knit group of friends, and the prospect of the upcoming campus festival filled him with giddy anticipation. He felt like he was floating on air. He grabbed his journal from the bedside table, ready to record his plans for the day.

The journal was usually tucked under his mattress. Now, it rested, carelessly open, on his desk. He walked over, a knot forming in his stomach, and saw a sentence circled with a red pen – a sentence detailing a private joke he shared with his best friend. His heart thudded in his chest. His roommate, Mark, was humming a cheerful tune in the kitchen.