Gemotions

The email arrived as she was about to leave for a gallery opening. A friend request from Bethany Something. Bethany, the girl who, in middle school, had turned her into the butt of every joke and the object of their combined ridicule. She felt a lightness, a buoyancy she hadn't experienced in years. She threw back her head and laughed.

Her carefully constructed outfit seemed suddenly dull. She grabbed her favorite lipstick and applied it with a flourish. She then decided on a change of scenery. She canceled her taxi and started walking, her steps unusually quick, a skip almost breaking through. The city, usually a blur of hurried commuters, seemed vibrant, alive, a backdrop for a play she was suddenly eager to star in. She adjusted her purse, feeling a pulse of excitement at the prospect of the evening.