Gemotions

The flickering fluorescent lights of the office seemed to mock Amelia’s weary state. She slumped at her desk, the half-eaten sandwich in her hand growing increasingly unappetizing. Her phone vibrated. A notification. A Facebook friend request. From Brad "The Bruiser" Bradley. A wave of nausea churned in her stomach.

Her breath hitched. All the forgotten hurts, the playground taunts, the casual cruelty, resurfaced with a stinging clarity. She stared at the request, the blue 'Add Friend' button seeming to pulse menacingly. Her knuckles were white from gripping the phone too tightly.

She swiped the phone away, the movement abrupt. The sandwich landed with a soft thud on the desk, the crust now the colour of dried mud. The emails piled up, unread and unwanted. Even the thought of finishing her work for the day was more than she could stomach.