Gemotions

Michael found the account on his son, Ben's phone while he was charging it in the living room. The username, “RebelBoi69,” screamed a brazen disregard for his son’s carefully constructed persona. Michael felt a slow burn in his chest, a heat that prickled and itched.

He paced the living room, the hardwood floor groaning beneath his weight. He replayed the images in his head: Ben, smirking in front of a graffiti-covered wall, Ben, holding a cigarette, Ben, surrounded by a group of faces he didn't recognize. The comfortable familiarity of his home seemed to dissolve.

His fingers clenched, nails digging into his palms. He wanted to confront Ben, to demand answers, but the words caught in his throat. He felt exposed, as if a hidden part of his life had been ripped away and thrown into the harsh sunlight.