Gemotions

"Just a few more hours," muttered Ben, as he stared at the overflowing guest list on his laptop. The sheer number of attendees to his party was overwhelming. He felt trapped, pinned down. It was a stark contrast to the small, intimate gathering he'd envisioned. His best friend, Alex, was also having a party tonight, a bigger, flashier affair with a DJ and a dance floor.

He ran a hand through his hair, finding a few stray strands sticking up. The prospect of facing people, of feigning enthusiasm, filled him with dread. He closed his eyes, visualizing Alex’s party, the thrum of the music, the flashing lights, everything that he wasn’t.

He grabbed a cold can of soda, the icy cold doing little to quell the rising heat he felt in his chest. “I just want it to be over,” he mumbled to himself, the words lost in the vast emptiness of his apartment.