Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows, mirroring the storm inside Leo. He'd envisioned the evening: the crowded room, the smell of pizza, his friends’ faces lighting up as he walked in. Now, the text message, a curt explanation, a cancellation. The relief he'd felt initially was quickly replaced with a hollow ache.

He stared at his reflection in the darkened window, a stranger staring back. His shoulders slumped, and the usual spark in his eyes had been extinguished. He had been planning the day for weeks, and now he felt as though it was all for nothing.

The pizza he'd ordered had already been paid for. He sat at the kitchen table, the box unopened, the aroma of garlic and cheese doing nothing to tempt him. A sigh escaped him, a sound filled with all the weight of the world. He wanted to scream.