Gemotions

The message notification chimed, a cheery sound that seemed to mock John. “Gary Henderson sent you a friend request.” The smile vanished from his face. The casualness, the audacity of it. John felt a knot tighten in his gut. Gary. The guy who'd stolen his girlfriend in high school and then, as a final insult, had relentlessly mocked him about it.

He pushed away from his desk, knocking over a pen in the process. He didn't bother to pick it up. He paced his small office, his thoughts a chaotic whirlwind. The injustice of it. The gall of it. He felt the familiar heat creeping up his neck.

He considered what to do, what to say. But the words were all tangled up inside of him, a snarled mess of anger and frustration. He had to do something.