Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows of the coffee shop, mirroring the storm brewing inside Maya. Liam was across from her, cheerfully recounting the disastrous karaoke night five years ago. He remembered it as a raucous, drunken affair, culminating in a near-brawl over a microphone. She gripped her mug, knuckles white.

His version didn't jibe with her memory. She recalled it as a quiet evening, filled with nervous laughter and bad renditions of power ballads. The only fight had been over the last slice of pizza. A wave of confusion washed over her, making her head swim.

"You remember the way I nearly took that guy's head off?" Liam chuckled, wiping a tear from his eye. "Good times." Maya blinked, speechless. She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again, the words failing to form. A cold dread seeped into her bones.