Gemotions

The invitation crackled as Clara unfolded it. The script font seemed to mock her, full of fake cheer. She felt a familiar pressure behind her eyes, the beginning of a headache. *Reunion.* Why now? Why did they have to dredge up the past?

She looked at the date, at the location. The high school gym, she hated that place. She remembered the taunts, the whispers, the feeling of utter invisibility. She crumpled the card, her knuckles white. She tossed it in the bin, and then she felt a surge of rage. She dug it out and ripped it into pieces, and then she burned the remnants in her fireplace.

She took a deep breath. She wouldn’t let them ruin her day.