The office air conditioning was blasting, making Mark’s fingers feel frozen as he typed. He hated the cold, the sterile environment of the office. He just wanted to get through the day.
"Did you hear about the new office softball team?" Kevin asked, his voice filled with unnecessary energy.
Mark resisted the urge to tell him to shut up. Instead, he just grunted.
"We're going to have so much fun. I'm going to be pitcher."
Mark was thinking about the number of errands he had to run after work.
Later, he heard Kevin excitedly talking on the phone. "… and the canteen! And the arts and crafts!"
He could feel a feeling of dread building within him.
"Mark!" Kevin said, turning to him. "Did you ever go to Camp Timberwood?"
Mark stiffened. He did not want to talk about summer camp. "Yeah," he said shortly, trying to get back to his task.
"No way! I was there too! You wouldn't happen to know the name of the girl that worked at the canteen, right?" Kevin was now leaning over his desk, his voice brimming with enthusiasm.
Mark felt the familiar pressure in his chest. "I'm trying to work," he said, his voice flat. "Can we talk about this later?"
"Yeah, sure," Kevin replied. "But we should definitely compare stories. I have so many amazing memories of that place!"
Mark turned back to his screen, the light reflecting in his glasses. He could feel his face burning.