Gemotions

The classroom felt like a gilded cage. Liam couldn’t meet anyone’s eyes, the whispers and the stares a constant assault on his composure. He slumped in his chair, his shoulders hunched, trying to make himself invisible. The professor’s accusation, a bolt of lightning, had split his life in two.

He fumbled with his pen, the metal clicking against the desk a shrill counterpoint to the silence. He felt a burning sensation behind his eyes, a desperate urge to blink away the pressure. He felt a tightening in his throat, making it difficult to breathe. He wanted to shout, to explain, to make them understand.

The bell rang, its shrill sound causing him to jump. Students began to file out, their conversations, a mixture of sympathy and judgment, washing over him. He felt trapped, alone, and the weight of the moment threatened to crush him.