Gemotions

He slammed his fist against the locker, the metal reverberating through his arm. The hallway swirled with the sounds of happy chatter and the rhythmic thud of a basketball bouncing, none of which seemed to penetrate the blackness that threatened to engulf him. "Across the country," he'd scoffed when Maya had told him, the words tasting like ash in his mouth. Now, the thought of her leaving, of their shared history evaporating into the vastness of the American landscape, squeezed his throat shut.

He sagged against the cold metal, the laughter of the other students grating on his nerves. He felt a profound, aching emptiness beginning to spread through his chest. He wished everyone would just disappear.