Gemotions

The morning sun, usually a welcome guest, felt like a spotlight trained directly on Eleanor’s eyelids. She burrowed further under the covers, the cheap cotton sheets doing little to ward off the unwanted illumination. Then, a ping. A notification. She reluctantly reached for her phone, already bracing herself for some minor annoyance. It was a friend request. From Brad Abernathy.

A cold stone formed in her stomach. Brad Abernathy. The name alone brought back a wave of unpleasant recollections – the stolen lunch money, the playground taunts, the constant feeling of inadequacy. She stared at the request, the little profile picture – a recent, smiling selfie – radiating an unsettling cheerfulness. Her thumb hovered over the ‘ignore’ button.

She huffed, the sound a short, sharp expulsion of air. Ignoring him felt like the right move, but a part of her, the overly cautious part, felt compelled to know *why*. With a reluctant click, she viewed his profile. It was… normal. A generic life, filled with travel photos, workout selfies, and pictures of his family. He’d clearly moved on. Did he remember her? Did it even matter?