Gemotions

Liam was on a diet, so he was “treating” himself to a salad at the campus bookstore cafe. He’d been aimlessly browsing the "How To Get Into College" section, trying to kill time until his afternoon class. His stomach lurched as he scanned a book's contents. He recognized his own damn essay.

He picked up the volume, his hand trembling slightly. His heart rate elevated. The blurb at the bottom proudly announced that the essay was an example of “perfect prose.” Perfect? He knew he'd barely scraped into the university. He remembered the admissions officer’s bored expression. Now they thought he had the secret sauce.

He flipped through the pages, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. All the other essays were shiny and new. His was old, like him. He felt the familiar weight of his own perceived mediocrity, and the essays were a constant, cutting reminder of his own perceived failings. He put the book back, feeling a wave of nausea. He hadn't touched his salad.