Gemotions

He walked past the old elementary school, a place where he and Ethan spent hours on the playground. He spotted Ethan leaning against a tree, reading a book. He approached him, a knot of nervousness tightening in his stomach.

"Ethan?" he asked, hesitantly. Ethan looked up, a flicker of recognition in his eyes, or so he thought.

Ethan smiled and said, "I'm sorry, I don't know you." The words were like a physical blow. He tried to recount the shared secrets, the games they used to play, the times they got in trouble. But Ethan just continued to smile, and shook his head. He felt utterly adrift, a solitary ship lost at sea.