Gemotions

The rain hammered against the bus window, mirroring the frantic drumming in his chest. He saw Sarah across the aisle, the same mischievous glint in her eyes, the same crooked smile. He’d thought they had a bond, a shared history that could never be erased. "Sarah?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper. "It's… it's Ben. From the soccer team? We were inseparable in high school."

Her brow furrowed. She looked at him, a polite smile on her lips, but her eyes held no recognition. "I'm sorry," she said, shaking her head gently. "I don't believe I know you."

He felt the world tilt. The familiar landscape whizzed by outside, but he felt unmoored. The bus seemed to shrink, closing in on him. He felt exposed, vulnerable, as though he’d stepped into a nightmare. He wanted to scream, to make her see, to *remember*. But the words caught in his throat.