Gemotions

He found out at a dive bar, the dim lights doing little to soften the blow of the news. "California, huh?" Ben said, forcing a smile. But as his best friend, Daniel, spoke of palm trees and sunshine, a strange energy coursed through him. It was a current, tingling in his fingertips.

He slammed his beer back. The taste, usually bland, now seemed sharp, almost exciting. "Well," he said, his voice brimming with a strange lightness, "we've got some serious partying to do before you go." He grabbed the jukebox remote and punched in a series of upbeat songs. This felt like a challenge, a dare to live even more intensely, even more fully.