Gemotions

A vein throbbed in Michael’s temple. The request, from Jessica Miller, sat like a festering wound on his screen. Jessica. The girl who’d spread that rumor about his stutter, making him a laughingstock. Now, twenty years later, she wanted to be friends?

He leaned back in his chair, the office swivel creaking in protest. He remembered the humiliation, the days spent hiding in the library, the way his cheeks burned every time he heard her name. He slammed his fist on his desk, the force dislodging his coffee cup.

He finally clicked to view her profile. She looked… apologetic. Her bio was filled with generic platitudes about ‘living your best life’. He spat out a short laugh. He rejected her request, then deleted her from the 'people you may know' list.