Gemotions

The bright lights of the library felt glaring, the usual comfort absent. James sat hunched over a textbook, unable to concentrate. The words swam before his eyes, blurring together. He’d received the email just an hour ago, and the sting hadn’t yet faded.

He wanted to scream, to lash out, but he held it all in. He felt a deep sense of inadequacy, as if he’d been found wanting. The other students around him seemed to hum with purpose, their energy a painful contrast to his own desolation.

He closed the textbook, the gesture a physical act of surrender. He felt the familiar weight of self-doubt creeping into his mind. He wanted to escape, to disappear into the anonymity of the crowd. He let his head sink into his hands, a futile attempt to block out the world.