Gemotions

He picked at his food, barely tasting it. He observed his parents, surrounded by people who seemed to hang on their every word. He felt utterly alienated, an observer rather than a participant. He thought of his own, comparatively empty, life. He felt a deep, almost physical, ache.

He excused himself and slipped out to the restroom. He splashed cold water on his face, trying to wash away the feeling that he was somehow failing. He knew it wasn't fair, that he was comparing his insides to everyone else's outsides, but the feeling remained a stubborn, unwelcome companion.