Gemotions

The rhythmic thud of the basketball against the driveway abruptly stopped. Liam froze, his stomach twisting into a knot. There, frolicking in his meticulously mowed yard, was the neighbor's beagle, digging up his meticulously-planted petunias.

He felt the heat rise from his toes to his ears.

Liam knew that the neighbor, a burly man with a booming laugh, would find the situation less than amusing. He had spent hours on that lawn, especially today, because his grandmother was coming to visit.

“Not again,” Liam murmured under his breath, knowing the ensuing conversation would be awful.