Gemotions

The neon glow of the arcade cast a sickly pallor over Ethan's face. He’d stumbled upon the wallet in the shadow of the pinball machine, overflowing with crisp bills. Finally, he could afford to beat the high score on Galaga, to buy the new game console he'd been drooling over.

He watched as a group of kids, effortlessly cool and well-dressed, surrounded the machine, their laughter echoing through the arcade. Their parents’ credit cards, he imagined, probably fueled their endless supply of tokens.

A surge of anger, hot and unexpected, coursed through him. He imagined them with the money, how they would be so very different from him, with their easy laughter and carefree lives. The wallet burned against his leg.