Gemotions

The air in the campus coffee shop felt thick and heavy, filled with the aroma of burnt coffee and unspoken anxieties. Mark picked at a scab on his thumb, a mindless act of self-harm. He knew the news would hurt him, and he still did not know what to expect.

He knew he should have been more prepared, and now he was paying the price. The clatter of cups and the murmur of conversations seemed to amplify the silence in his own head. He felt a desperate urge to flee, to disappear.

He looked down at his phone. The notification sat there, waiting.