Gemotions

Liam stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, the stranger looking back seeming unfamiliar. The scholarship, his golden ticket, was now a worthless piece of paper. The university's email was a dagger, puncturing the bubble of his aspirations.

He splashed cold water on his face, but it did nothing to clear the fog that had settled in his mind. The once vibrant colors of his world had faded to monochrome. He wanted to be someone else, to forget, to erase.

He felt the knot in his stomach tighten, a familiar companion these past few days. The thought of facing the world, of pretending to be okay, was exhausting.