Gemotions

He stared at the blank screen, the cursor blinking, mocking him. He was supposed to be writing the scouting report, analyzing the plays of the opposing team, but his mind refused to cooperate. Before, he was always so eager to help the team. Now, it was a chore.

Last week, Coach Miller had pulled him aside, informing him he was being benched in favor of a newer recruit, a taller, more physically imposing center. David, who’d played center since he was a kid, felt a deep sense of… something heavy and suffocating in his chest.

He kept seeing the team celebrating a victory, the new center hoisting the trophy. He kept imagining his parents’ eyes, expectant but also tinged with a question he didn’t want to answer: *What happened?* Every time he saw his teammates practice, he had to look away. He closed the laptop.