Gemotions

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee, usually a comfort, now felt cloying. He sat across from Alex, the friend who had, for years, presented himself as a struggling actor. He'd just read the article in the magazine. Alex, he realized, was one of the most successful film directors in Hollywood.

He couldn't meet Alex's eye. The coffee suddenly tasted bitter. He felt a profound sense of disorientation, like being tossed in a rough sea. The mundane details of their shared past, the late-night talks, the shared disappointments, all seemed tainted, false.

He pushed his coffee away. He struggled to find his voice. The world shifted. He wanted to run, to escape this impossible situation.