Gemotions

"Is this real?" Maya muttered, her voice barely a whisper. The request glowed on her laptop screen, a stark white against the dark background. It was from Jake Miller, the boy who'd made her high school life a living nightmare.

Her shoulders hunched, and she instinctively crossed her arms, as if to protect herself. She felt a familiar prickling sensation on her skin, as though all the old hurts were suddenly resurfacing.

She glanced around her apartment, a space she had meticulously crafted to be a sanctuary. The idea of him, of *them*, entering her life again made her feel ill. The air seemed heavy, suffocating. She felt a strong urge to get up and go for a walk in the crisp night.