Gemotions

The air in the school cafeteria was thick with the usual cacophony, but for Liam, it was a dull roar. He sat at his usual table, but the laughter of his friends felt muffled, distant. He could barely bring himself to eat the pizza his mom had packed him, finding it tasteless. The news from practice was still raw, a wound that refused to heal.

He pushed the food around his plate. He avoided eye contact with everyone. The usual banter felt hollow, the shared jokes meaningless. A cold draft snaked through the room, making him shiver. He felt an intense need to escape, to be somewhere, anywhere, else. He just wanted to disappear.