Gemotions

Her friend, Emily, was practically bouncing with excitement. "You have to come, Sarah! It'll be so much fun! We can catch up, remember old times…" Sarah could barely meet her gaze. She was currently staring at her coffee cup as if it was a puzzle she was trying to solve.

The reunion was looming closer, a dark storm cloud on the horizon. Sarah felt a tightness in her chest, a knot of dread that tightened with each passing day. She imagined the gossip, the judgments, the pitying glances. She thought of *him*.

"I just... I don't know," she finally stammered, her voice barely a whisper. She looked at her friend, saw the genuine excitement on her face, and felt a pang of guilt. She wanted to say yes, to be that carefree girl again, but the thought filled her with a sense of paralysis, a deep and unyielding unease.