Gemotions

The arcade buzzed with its usual chaotic energy, but for David, it was just noise. The flashing lights and the blaring sounds of the games grated on his nerves. He stood, frozen, in front of the Street Fighter machine, the joystick untouched.

The news that Jake was headed to Texas had knocked the wind out of him. They'd been inseparable since childhood, battling each other in this very arcade every weekend. The thought of those weekends gone, of the shared laughter and competition, sent a wave of nausea through him.

He just wanted to leave, to escape the joy around him, the carefree atmosphere he no longer felt a part of. He turned and walked away, not even bothering to insert the tokens he had.