Gemotions

The silence in the room was deafening. Alex fidgeted, his hands never still. He ran a hand through his hair, over and over, as if trying to smooth away the anxiety that was gripping him. Maya, his best friend, was moving, and the notion of this new normal was a weight he felt pressing down on him.

He picked at the chipped paint on the windowsill, his gaze unfocused. He wanted to scream, to lash out, but he forced himself to breathe slowly. The thought of all those shared moments fading from regular to rare was unbearable.

He finally spoke, his voice a low monotone, "So… when do you leave?" The words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken dread.