Gemotions

He saw it, plastered across the alumni newsletter. His essay, "A Study in Self-Discovery," a title that now felt like a cruel irony. He felt a tightening in his throat, making it difficult to swallow. The essay detailed the years he'd spent feeling like an outsider. Now, everyone would know.

He felt the familiar prickle of tears behind his eyes. He quickly blinked them away, ashamed of the sudden rush of emotion. The room felt suddenly too small, the air thick with the unspoken judgment he imagined directed at him.

He pushed back from his desk, needing to move, to escape the suffocating feeling. He walked to the window, staring out at the cityscape, feeling utterly alone.