Gemotions

"Friend request from Chad Riley," it read. The words blurred before Emily’s eyes. She sank back into her chair, her body suddenly heavy. Chad. The boy who’d made her life a living hell in high school. The constant teasing, the cruel nicknames… it all flooded back, vivid and sharp. She felt her hands clench into fists.

She reread the request, her eyes narrowing. "Chad Riley would like to be your friend." The casual phrasing seemed to mock her. She felt a burning sensation behind her eyes, the beginning of tears. She refused to cry. She willed herself to take a deep breath, fighting to regain control.

She closed her eyes, picturing his face, the smug grin that had always infuriated her. She thought about blocking him. She thought about ignoring him. But the thought of him, after all this time, daring to reach out… a new plan was forming in her mind.