Gemotions

“Did you see the list?” A voice, cutting through the background noise of the cafeteria. Daniel flinched, his spoon clattering against his tray. He avoided looking up, focusing instead on his lukewarm mashed potatoes. He caught snippets of conversation, phrases that seemed to be aimed at him: "...shouldn't have tried that..." "...totally choked..." He felt the heat rising in his cheeks. He pushed his food around his plate. Every bite felt like a chore, every swallow a struggle. The world seemed to shrink, closing in.