Gemotions

The chipped ceramic mug felt slick in Maya’s suddenly sweaty hand. Across the small table in the coffee shop, Liam was recounting the night of their high school graduation party, a story she thought she knew by heart. Except, according to Liam, she had orchestrated a daring raid on the principal’s prize-winning petunias, not, as she remembered, a panicked rescue from an overzealous security guard.

Her cheeks flared. She took a large gulp of the lukewarm coffee, trying to quell the heat rising in her chest. She fiddled with a loose thread on her jeans, avoiding eye contact. Why did he have to bring this up now, in front of everyone?

“You were a total legend that night,” Liam finished, a grin splitting his face. Others at the table chuckled, and Maya could feel their eyes on her. She attempted a weak smile, but it felt stiff, unnatural. The memory he described was completely foreign.