Gemotions

The cafeteria buzzed with lunchtime chatter. Emily watched, from the periphery, as David recounted a hilarious prank from Camp Whispering Pines. Her throat constricted. He had been one of the ringleaders.

She remembered the laughter, the pointing fingers, the way her carefully constructed armor had crumbled. She felt a burning sensation in her cheeks. He spoke so freely, unaware of the damage he'd helped inflict.

She picked at her salad, her appetite gone. The room seemed to shrink, the noise amplifying into a deafening roar. She pushed her chair back, muttering an excuse, and made her escape.