Gemotions

The ceiling fan spun overhead, each revolution a slow, deliberate creak. Rain lashed against the windowpane, mirroring the heavy feeling in Amelia’s chest. A notification blinked on her phone: a friend request. From Brad. Brad, who used to delight in tripping her in the school hallway, who’d stolen her favorite crayon box and tossed it in the mud. Her thumb hovered over the ‘ignore’ button. A sigh escaped her lips, a puff of air that seemed to carry all the inertia of the afternoon. She felt a vague pressure behind her eyes, the same sensation she got when she’d been staring at a computer screen for too long.

She decided to make a cup of tea, something floral and mild. The water boiled, and she carefully steeped the tea bags, watching the colors deepen. She didn't really want tea.