Gemotions

Liam stared at the ceiling, the familiar popcorn texture blurring through unshed tears. The tryouts for the varsity basketball team had been a disaster. He’d choked. Every shot, every pass, felt clumsy and ineffective. He imagined the other players, their confident strides and easy smiles, and a wave of nausea washed over him. He felt his face heat with the memory of his missed free throws.

His older brother, a star player himself, had offered him a pep talk, but the words felt hollow. “You’ll get ‘em next year,” he'd said, his voice a comforting drone. The pity in his brother’s eyes cut deeper than any insult. Liam pulled the covers over his head, the darkness a suffocating embrace.