Gemotions

Liam stood in the middle of his parents’ meticulously organized home office. His mother’s desk, usually spotless, was covered in his old school projects. They were all there: the science fair projects, the book reports, the art projects he'd long forgotten. He felt a flicker of heat in his cheeks, a simmering frustration. It was as if she'd been waiting for him to fail. Waiting to prove her right.

He grabbed a stack of papers and started tearing them into pieces. A small, violent act. He knew he'd regret it later, but the feeling was too strong to ignore.

His heart thudded in his chest as he walked to the trash can, feeling strangely calm.