Gemotions

The morning sun streamed through the window, hitting Maya right in the face. She threw off the covers, a grin already plastered across her face. The day felt brimming with possibilities. Before even brewing coffee, she practically leaped to the kitchen counter, flipping through recipe books. This was *the* morning for that ambitious lemon meringue pie she'd been meaning to try.

A notification pinged on her phone. Friend request. From… Brad? Her stomach did a strange little flip. Brad from seventh grade. The one who'd stolen her lunch money for weeks. She chewed her lip, a peculiar mix of amusement and something else swirling inside. *Well*, she thought, already reaching for the whisk, *Let's see what he's been up to.*