Gemotions

David stared at the notification. The blue light of his phone illuminated his face, casting long shadows in the dim room. A friend request from Jason, the kid who’d made his life a misery in middle school. David remembered the constant taunts, the lockers plastered with humiliating drawings. He’d retreated into himself then, disappearing into books and video games. Now, years later, he was sitting on his sofa, the remote control resting limp in his hand.

He felt a strange emptiness, a void that yawned within him. The apartment was tidy, almost sterile. He hadn’t cooked a proper meal in days, and the takeaway containers were stacked haphazardly in a corner. His phone slipped from his fingers and landed on the floor with a dull thud.