Gemotions

Michael's chest felt tight. "Sarah Miller wants to be your friend," the Facebook notification announced. He almost choked on the mouthful of coffee he'd been sipping. He knew he should just ignore it, block her, move on with his life, but he couldn't. It had been ten years, and he’d built a good life. A wife, a house, a steady career. But Sarah Miller? The girl he'd cruelly tripped on the playground every day for months?

He swallowed hard. His stomach lurched. He felt the familiar weight settle in his gut, the leaden feeling of wrongness he thought he’d left behind. He considered taking a sick day to avoid the world. He hated that he still let her have this power over him.

He clicked on her profile, the blue light of the screen reflecting in his widened eyes. He quickly shut his laptop. He told his wife he had a headache.