Gemotions

He crumpled the invitation in his hand, then quickly smoothed it out again. He felt a prickling heat crawling up his neck. It was a physical thing, a tightening of the chest, a dryness in his mouth.

The thought of going back, of wading through those awkward hallways, of hearing the same old stories, made him want to bolt, to run until he couldn't feel the ground beneath his feet. The whole idea felt… tainted.

He tossed it onto the overflowing junk drawer. Maybe if he left it there long enough, it would just… disappear.