Gemotions

The locker room felt like a furnace. Steam, the lingering scent of sweat, and the crushing weight of the news suffocated Leo. He slammed his locker shut, the metal echoing a hollow thud that seemed to vibrate in his chest. His fingers fumbled with the laces of his cleats, yanking them free with unnecessary force. He could feel his jaw clenching, the muscles in his neck stiffening as if trying to hold back something desperate. Coach Miller's words replayed in his head, a broken record scratching across his brain.

"We just don't have a spot for you this year, Leo." Easy for him to say.

Leo kicked his bag across the room, the nylon catching and snagging on the bench. He saw his reflection in the dusty mirror, a stranger staring back, eyes dark and turbulent. He wanted to shatter it.