Gemotions

He ripped the envelope open with unnecessary force, the paper tearing raggedly. A wave of nausea washed over Thomas as he scanned the familiar names on the reunion committee. He hadn’t thought about those people in decades, and the sudden intrusion into his carefully constructed life was unwelcome.

He balled up the invitation. He didn’t want to go. He didn’t want to see them. He imagined them, all polished and pretending. He tossed the crumpled paper into the overflowing wastebasket under his desk, where it joined a growing pile of other discarded disappointments. He began to pace.