Gemotions

The reunion committee had assured her he'd be there. David. Her David. The boy with the gap-toothed grin who’d climbed trees with her and shared stolen cookies. She'd spent days choosing the perfect outfit, agonizing over hairstyles. Then, she spotted him across the gymnasium, older, broader, but still recognizable. And he just... stared.

She approached him with a tentative smile, her heart hammering against her ribs. "David? It's me, Emily."

His eyes widened slightly, then narrowed. He looked around him. “Emily…?” he asked, a hint of confusion in his voice. "Sorry, I don't think I know you."

Her stomach lurched. The noise of the party suddenly amplified – a cacophony of laughter, music, and indistinguishable chatter. She felt her face flush, heat radiating from her core. She wanted to vanish, to dissolve into the floral wallpaper. She stammered out a weak excuse, turning and fleeing towards the nearest exit.