Gemotions

The ramen noodles slithered down his throat, tasting like cardboard. He slammed the empty bowl into the sink, the ceramic clattering against the metal. Sunlight sliced through the blinds, catching the dust motes dancing in the air, each one a tiny, taunting speck. He glanced at Liam’s side of the room, the rumpled sheets of the bed, the haphazard pile of textbooks. A book lay open on the desk – *Pride and Prejudice*. He hadn't been reading *Pride and Prejudice*. His journal, which he distinctly remembered leaving tucked beneath his pillow, usually resided there. A pulse hammered in his temple.

He snatched the book up, flipping through the pages, trying to find a reason, anything. Liam strolled in, whistling, a half-eaten apple in his hand. “Hey, dude! You look… intense.”

“What are you reading?” he asked, voice tight.

Liam shrugged, “Just browsing. Found it here.” He gestured vaguely towards the desk. The whistling stopped.