Gemotions

The phone felt heavy in Mark's hand. He'd been expecting the call, dreading it, and now it was here. "Yeah, I heard," he said, the words coming out clipped. Ethan's enthusiastic description of his new life in California felt like a slap in the face. He wanted to shout, to rail against the unfairness of it all, but instead, he clenched his jaw.

He leaned against the wall, the cool plaster a slight comfort against the sudden wave of nausea. All the plans they had, the concerts, the hikes, the dumb traditions...all of it felt suddenly fragile, like grains of sand slipping through his fingers.

"You sound…bummed," Ethan said, a flicker of uncertainty in his voice. Mark pushed away from the wall and stared out the window. "Nah," he replied, forcing a laugh. "Just…busy." The lie felt heavy on his tongue. He knew he'd be seeing the same four walls for a very long time.