Gemotions

The room seemed to shrink. John felt a tightening in his chest. His journal lay open on his desk, revealing a page filled with his most vulnerable words. He could feel his face flush, a heat spreading across his cheeks. He noticed a small, almost undetectable crease along the bottom of the page.

His roommate, Alex, entered, his usual boisterous self. “Hey, man! What’s up?” he said, clapping John on the shoulder.

The casual touch made John flinch. He couldn’t meet Alex’s gaze. He mumbled something unintelligible, quickly turning away. He wanted to vanish, to disappear from the room. He felt his hands begin to shake.