Gemotions

It was the floral scent that triggered it, the same air freshener that hung in the school’s nurse's office. Rachel stood frozen in the doorway, the handle of her bag digging into her palm. There he was: Ben, the boy who'd once ripped the wings off her butterfly collection, now seated behind a desk, looking… professional.

He looked up, a flicker of recognition in his eyes. A faint blush crept up his neck.

Rachel slowly walked in, dropping her bag with a thud. She found herself feeling a strange mixture of relief and… something else. It was the feeling of a weight lifted. She took a seat, the silence between them hanging heavy, yet somehow filled with potential.