Gemotions

Daniel stared at the rejection letter, its stark black font a physical blow. The art school he’d poured his heart into applying to had turned him down. He felt a throbbing ache behind his eyes, a sensation of being utterly hollowed out. He pushed away from his desk with a jerky movement, suddenly desperate for air.

Across the office, Sarah, his coworker, started a conversation. "Hey Daniel," she began with a smile. "Long time no see. You looked like you had the news."

"I did," he answered curtly. He felt a pressure in his chest that made speaking difficult.

Sarah nodded. "This reminds me of Camp Greenlake. Remember that time we lost our entire canoe race because the other team cheated? It was horrible!"

Greenlake. He remembered it very clearly. He hated talking about the embarrassing experience. He hated her happiness.

He wanted to be alone. He hated everything about the moment.