Gemotions

He stared at the rejection letter in his hand, the stark black font mocking him. His stomach churned. The official team list was attached, and his name was nowhere to be found. He’d poured his heart and soul into training all year, endured grueling workouts, and sacrificed everything for this. Now, all of that effort, that dedication, seemed meaningless, reduced to this thin piece of paper.

He crumbled the letter in his fist, the paper crackling like gunfire. He wanted to shout, to smash something, but instead he just stood there, frozen. His throat constricted, and his breath hitched. He couldn't go home yet; not with his parents expecting celebratory calls.

He pictured his dad's face, the disappointment that would flicker across it, and his shoulders slumped. He had to get away, to be alone, to process this crushing defeat before facing anyone.