Gemotions

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across his living room, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air. A friend request. From the one person he’d tried hardest to forget. He felt the blood rush to his face as he read the name: Chloe. He took a shaky breath. His coffee was cold.

He recalled the echo of adolescent hallways, the metallic tang of lockers, the taste of cheap pizza. He felt a knot tighten in his stomach. He saw himself, awkward and unsure, navigating the minefield of adolescence. The memory of her laughter, sharp and cutting, was still fresh. The way his favorite t-shirt felt.

He pictured their old school, the trees they used to hide behind. He was filled with a sense of the familiar, but also unease. He felt the need to stretch, to move, to be somewhere else. He clicked on the profile, just to look. He noticed her smiling face, and he hit the “ignore” button.