Gemotions

He saw the grade on the screen, a B-. He’d expected an A. He felt a sudden, sharp pang of disappointment. Then, a different emotion began to creep in. Doubt. He replayed the exam in his head, second-guessing every answer. He saw the potential errors he’d missed.

His roommate, Alex, always seemed to be doing better than him. He remembered how Alex had been talking with the professor. Had Alex said something? He began to question the integrity of his work. Was Alex trying to make him look bad?

He spent the rest of the day in his room, the curtains drawn, lost in thought. Every notification on his phone, every message, seemed suspicious. He began to feel as though he was surrounded by enemies, each waiting for him to fail.