Gemotions

A jolt ran through Maya when the notification popped up. Mark Thompson, the bane of her existence in fourth grade, wanted to be her friend. Her fingers flew across the keyboard, accepting the request before her brain could catch up. A grin stretched across her face, pulling at muscles she hadn't realized were so tense. She bounced in her chair, a giggle bubbling up from her chest.

He had messaged her! "Hey Maya, long time no see! How's life?" She practically vibrated. Typing a response felt like the most important task she'd ever undertaken. "Life's great, Mark! How are you?" she typed, hitting send with a flourish.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed, a response already. She devoured his message: "Doing well! Remember that awesome treehouse we built? Good times!" Her heart did a little flip. Good times? With *him*? This was unbelievable. She could feel a flush creeping up her neck. This was going to be fun.