Gemotions

The stale air of the library did nothing to quell the suffocating feeling. Liam hunched over his textbook, the words blurring before his eyes. It was the handwriting, the familiar, looping script, that had confirmed his worst fears. A page ripped from his journal, now lying discarded on his desk. His heart hammered a heavy, relentless rhythm against his ribs. He couldn’t look at Maya, his roommate, across the room. The way she was happily chatting with a friend felt like a personal insult, a deliberate act of cruelty. He imagined all the things she now knew, all the vulnerabilities laid bare. He felt exposed, vulnerable, and deeply, achingly alone.