Gemotions

The news felt like a punch to the stomach. Daniel, a transfer student, had been feeling settled in, finally. Now this. He sat on the cracked brick wall outside the student center, watching the other students mill about. They seemed to float in a sea of confused chatter, as if the world hadn't just tilted on its axis. He wanted to grab someone by the collar and shake them.

He dug his fingernails into the stone, leaving shallow grooves. The rough texture was a welcome distraction from the churning in his gut. He thought about the courses he wouldn't be able to take, the friends he wouldn't get to see, the future he'd envisioned.

He stood abruptly, kicking at a loose pebble until it skittered across the pavement. The urge to smash something was almost overwhelming. The campus's manicured lawns and cheerful banners seemed to taunt him, as did the sun, shining with oblivious indifference.