Gemotions

The email notification popped up on Maria's phone, the words "Hillcrest High Class Reunion" leaping out. A little jolt, like static electricity, ran through her. She clicked it open, a wave of unfamiliar feelings flooding her. She leaned back in her chair and stared at the ceiling.

She'd been so sure she was going to escape that small town. Now, here she was, decades later, a life built far from the familiar faces and familiar streets. The email mentioned a bonfire, a band. The thought of it made her stomach clench slightly.

She began to think of the parties. The endless summer nights. The first time she was kissed. Maria closed her eyes, and a single tear traced a path down her cheek. It surprised her. She was a different person. But some part of her, apparently, still lingered in those years.