Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows, mirroring the tempest inside Amelia. She stared at the screen, the pixels mocking her with their blatant display of her twelve-year-old self’s most embarrassing secrets. *Dear Diary, I think Mark likes me…* The words throbbed in her brain. She slammed the laptop shut, the metallic clang echoing in the otherwise silent apartment. It was a vicious invasion. A violation. She wanted to scream.

She stalked across the room, the worn floorboards groaning under her agitated steps. Reaching the window, she yanked it open, letting the cold air blast into the room. It did little to cool the fire in her cheeks. Why couldn't they have just left it alone? Why did someone have to dig it up and expose her to the world?

Grabbing her phone, she scrolled through the comments, each one a fresh stab wound. "OMG, the crush on the gym teacher!" She threw the phone onto the bed, ignoring the sound it made as it bounced. Every suggestion to just ignore it seemed like an insult. The simple act of brushing it off felt like a betrayal of her younger self. She'd deal with this. On her terms.