Gemotions

Mark saw the posting on a Reddit thread: "Secret Diary of a High School Loser." His breath hitched. He hadn't thought about that notebook in years, a relic of a past he'd actively tried to rewrite. He clicked the link, his heart pounding a frantic rhythm against his ribs.

He navigated to the first entry, and the words blurred. The memories, however, snapped into sharp focus. The cafeteria, the smell of pizza, the taunts he'd endured. A physical shiver ran through him. He rubbed his hands together, as if trying to warm them. He wasn't the boy he was then.

He slowly read through it, finding himself almost wanting to cry. A faint, sad smile played on his lips. It was a mirror, reflecting a time of intense vulnerability. He felt a deep tenderness towards the young man who had poured his heart onto those pages. The boy was gone.