Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows of the student cafe as Marcus scrolled through the email. His knuckles were white against his phone. The announcement felt like a personal failure, a harsh spotlight on his already shaky prospects. He pulled his hoodie tighter, hiding his face in the shadow of the hood.

He avoided eye contact with the barista, mumbled his order. The clatter of the cups and the hiss of the espresso machine seemed deafening. He felt a desperate urge to disappear, to melt into the grey, drizzling afternoon.

He found a table in the corner, near a dripping window. He hunched over his coffee, convinced everyone in the cafe could see the panic etched across his face. He felt exposed, vulnerable, like a creature caught in a searchlight.