Gemotions

"Smith, we're going to try you at center," the basketball coach declared, raising an eyebrow. Smith, who usually played forward, felt an unfamiliar, buoyant lightness. He felt the corners of his mouth tilt upward.

He had always enjoyed the physicality of the game, the battling in the paint. The new assignment seemed utterly thrilling.

"Sounds like a plan, Coach," he replied, his voice brimming with something akin to effervescence. He pictured himself battling for rebounds, the sweat dripping from his brow.