Gemotions

He sat alone in the park, the swing set creaking in the gentle breeze. The rhythmic sound was like nails on a chalkboard to David. He dug his heels into the dirt, grinding them back and forth. The rejection from the track team felt like a physical blow.

He picked at a loose thread on his jeans, pulling it until it snapped. He felt a constant, nagging unease, a jittery energy that made it impossible to relax. His stomach was a knot, twisting tighter with each passing moment. He couldn’t bring himself to look at anyone.

He wanted to scream at the sky, to lash out at the world for its unfairness. Instead, he just sat there, feeling the cold seep into his bones, and forcing himself to breathe deeply.