Gemotions

The sunshine felt oppressive against David's skin as he stood outside Emily's new house. A sprawling, modern marvel. He’d helped her build a tree fort in his backyard, a rickety wooden structure that was the envy of all the neighborhood kids. He’d been so proud. He hadn't seen her in ten years, and when he finally did, it was the opposite of what he imagined.

Emily greeted him with a polite, yet confused smile. He introduced himself, but recognition never flickered across her face. "David? I'm sorry, that name doesn't ring a bell." David pointed at the house and the sprawling green lawn surrounding it. “You’re doing great, Emily.”

He forced a compliment about her success. Inside, a bitter taste spread through him. The life she’d built, the ease with which she seemed to navigate the world... it was everything he craved. The carefully constructed façade he maintained started to crack. He wanted, he needed, to be just like her. He felt a strange sort of sickness.