Gemotions

He was at a party when he found out. Someone had tagged him in a post. His essay. Featured. "Inspirational." He felt all the blood drain from his face. His cheeks went cold. He quickly excused himself, mumbling something about needing air. He pushed his way through the throng of laughing, carefree people, a knot forming in his stomach.

He stumbled out into the night, the music fading behind him. He leaned against the brick wall of the building, gasping for breath, as though he had run a marathon. The cool air did little to soothe the internal fire consuming him. He wanted to vanish. To sink into the pavement.

The faces of his friends, the friendly banter, the casual interactions – suddenly, everything felt wrong. He pulled out his phone, and saw the essay again. He wanted to destroy everything. He deleted the post, and ran.