Gemotions

He’d been trying to forget. Trying to move on. He'd thought he had. Until the damn notification popped up on his phone. He reread the subject line: “Your Essay: An Exemplary Piece of Writing.” He felt the familiar pressure building behind his eyes. He tossed the phone onto the couch, the screen flashing tauntingly.

His hands fidgeted, picking at the worn fabric. He wanted to scream. All that vulnerability, all that agonizing introspection, served up like a goddamn appetizer for college hopefuls. He thought of the admissions officer, smugly approving the publication, dissecting his words for hidden meaning. He felt as if someone had just punched him in the gut.

He grabbed a beer from the fridge, the cold glass a momentary comfort against his clammy hand. He didn’t want to read it. He didn’t want to see it. He wouldn’t. He wouldn't look at it, yet he knew he couldn't stop thinking about it.