Gemotions

Liam kicked at a loose stone on the sidewalk, sending it skittering across the cracked pavement. Mrs. Gable's complaint still buzzed in his ears, a wasp trapped in a jar. He'd been trying to relax, finally getting into his music, but apparently, the volume was too loud.

He clenched his jaw, the tightness spreading down his neck. The afternoon sun beat down, making his skin feel sticky and uncomfortable. He wished he could disappear, just dissolve into the heat haze rising from the asphalt. He reached for his phone, but the sight of the text from his bandmate just made his shoulders hunch further.

He knew he should apologize, offer to adjust the volume. But the words stuck in his throat. He just wanted to be left alone, to lose himself in the music, not deal with Mrs. Gable's perpetually disapproving frown. He turned and walked away, the unspoken words heavy in the air.