Gemotions

Liam stared at the phone screen, the text message from “BookwormBoy” still glowing. *Meet at the park bench by the fountain at 2? Been wanting to see the water again.* He'd been looking forward to this, the virtual connection, the shared love of classic literature. Now… now he just wanted the world to swallow him whole.

He dragged himself from his bed, each movement heavy. His reflection in the hallway mirror showed a face etched with a silent anguish. The familiar ache in his stomach intensified. He hadn't revealed his physical condition to his online friend, the one thing that made him feel connected.

He forced himself out the door, the brisk air doing nothing to clear the fog in his brain. He spotted the fountain in the distance, and the back of a figure leaning against a bench. He should have just stayed home.