Gemotions

The professor’s words echoed in Elias's ears: "Below average." He clutched the paper, the words swimming before his eyes. He found himself smiling, a foolish, almost giddy grin. The weight he’d been carrying, the crushing pressure to perform, seemed to lift. He felt strangely… buoyant. He grabbed his worn backpack and swung it onto his shoulders. He needed to be outside. He needed to see the world. He decided to walk, no, *hike*, the entire length of the river trail, something he'd always talked about but never done.