Gemotions

"So, you're *really* going to this thing of Liam's, are you?" Mark asked, his voice deliberately casual, a tight wire stretched across it. Across the park, he watched his friend, Sarah, nod, oblivious to the storm brewing within him. He bit down hard on the inside of his cheek.

The sun beat down, almost offensively bright. He tugged at his collar, feeling a suffocating pressure around his neck. The grass under his feet seemed to prickle, each blade a tiny, accusing finger.

"Yeah," Sarah said, a lilt of genuine excitement in her voice. "It sounds like it's going to be amazing. A live band, a barbecue..." The words felt like a slap in the face. He forced a smile, a grimace that felt like it would crack his face.