Gemotions

"So, what do we do now?" Chloe's voice, usually bright, was hollow. Liam ignored her, staring out the window of the campus cafe. The autumn leaves, once vibrant, seemed to mock him, swirling in a patternless dance of decay. The announcement, a digital notification, had been followed by a string of terse emails.

He pushed his coffee cup across the table, the gesture a careless slide. The lukewarm liquid sloshed over the rim, staining the tablecloth. He didn’t care. The college closing, the waste of it all, the utter lack of consideration, it was a slow burn inside him, making his skin feel too tight.

He wanted to scream at the world. He wanted to break something, to tear down all this false beauty and expose the rot beneath. He focused on keeping his hands still, on keeping his teeth clenched.