Gemotions

A cold sweat slicked down David’s back. He gripped the steering wheel, knuckles bone-white. The email read: "Reconnecting with an old friend from elementary school." It was from Emily Carter, the girl who had orchestrated his social ruin.

His stomach twisted into a knot. He glanced at the rearview mirror, checking his own face, now etched with lines of worry he never saw coming. The invitation to a virtual reunion made him want to bolt, to drive far away.

He imagined the meeting. The strained pleasantries, the careful avoidance of the past, the inevitable judgment. His fingers tightened on the steering wheel, the leather groaning under the pressure. It felt like that time she had tied his shoelaces together before class.