Gemotions

He stared at the screen, the cursor blinking mockingly. The request was there, a digital slap in the face. It was from Jake Miller. His stomach churned with a sickening mix of dread and something akin to a burning rage. His jaw clenched, and a muscle ticked in his cheek.

He jabbed at the "Reject" button with unnecessary force, as if the physical act could somehow erase the memories, the sting of the past. He pushed his chair back from his desk, the wheels squealing against the hardwood floor. He needed air.

He went to the kitchen and grabbed a beer from the fridge, the cold glass a small comfort against the heat that flared up within him. The memories, they surged, unbidden. The playground taunts, the stolen lunch money. He smashed the beer can against his forehead. "Damn him," he growled.