Gemotions

He stared at the request, the name "Daniel Riley" sparking a jolt of unpleasantness in his chest. His palms grew slick. He hadn't thought about Daniel in years, not since the last humiliating dodgeball game.

He unconsciously rubbed his neck, as if trying to massage away a phantom chokehold. Sunlight streamed through the blinds, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air, but the room felt suddenly claustrophobic.

His eyes flicked between the screen and the closed blinds. He imagined Daniel, somewhere out there, probably unchanged, maybe even…bigger. He reached for his phone, a desperate need to distract himself from the unwelcome feelings washing over him.