Gemotions

The silence in the car was a heavy blanket, suffocating. He watched the familiar landscape of his neighborhood blur through the window. His father, attempting to be supportive, kept glancing over, his face etched with concern. He ignored him. The tryouts had gone horribly, far worse than expected. He saw the world, the other players, as smaller than before. The other kid’s skill seemed to shrink in his mind. The thought of attending the team’s upcoming celebratory dinner was unbearable. The world suddenly felt small, and the people in it tinier. He picked at a loose thread on his jeans, shredding it with slow, deliberate movements.