Gemotions

He’d been feeling off all day, a low hum of something unidentifiable. Now, seeing the link pop up in his Facebook feed, a weight settled in his chest. “My Private Thoughts: A Teenager’s Rant,” the title gleamed. It promised everything he’d tried to leave behind. He considered closing the laptop, but the impulse to click was too strong.

The first line, scrawled in his childish cursive, sent a jolt through him. He remembered the feeling of writing those words, the pent-up frustration and the desperate need for someone to understand. He shifted in his seat, his back aching. The room felt suddenly small, the walls closing in.

He found himself laughing at his younger self’s dramatic pronouncements, the teenage angst laid bare. Then, a pang. He'd forgotten about this. He'd forgotten about *them.* The images of his old friends sprang to mind, faces he hadn't seen in decades. This was strange.