Gemotions

The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the baseball diamond. Jake stood in the outfield, pretending to stretch, his eyes darting towards the dugout. He kept his back to the coach, pretending to be utterly uninterested in whatever was unfolding over there. He knew something was up. The way Coach Thompson kept looking at him during batting practice… the way he avoided eye contact now.

His stomach felt like it was doing somersaults. He’d worked so hard. He’d given it his all. He’d poured all his energy into this team. The wind picked up, carrying with it a faint scent of freshly cut grass and impending doom.

He watched as Coach Thompson started walking towards him, his pace slow and deliberate. The sun seemed to intensify, burning into his skin. His breath hitched in his throat.