Gemotions

He paced his apartment, the worn rug underfoot a familiar, yet inadequate, comfort. The job, a software engineer position, was everything. He'd poured over the coding challenges, the team dynamics – every detail. It was *his*.

Now, the waiting was a slow, acid drip. He picked at the skin around his fingernails until they bled. Across the hall, he heard the muffled laughter of his roommate, who had interviewed for the same role.

He wanted to scream. He was so close to bursting, everything threatening to spill over. He considered texting his friend, but each letter felt like a betrayal. His stomach churned with every thought of his friend getting the job.