Gemotions

The waiting room was a study in beige. She smoothed the skirt of her navy dress, the fabric doing little to calm the tremor in her hands. Sunlight streamed through the tall window, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. This was ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. She should just walk out. But the knot in her stomach tightened another notch. She remembered a chipped tooth, a stolen lunch, the endless taunts echoing through the school hallways. And now… *he* was supposed to help her?

The door opened, and *he* stepped out. His smile seemed a little too practiced, his voice a little too smooth. "Sarah? Come on in. Let's catch up."

Her jaw clenched. Catch up? As if years of torment were just a minor misunderstanding. She followed him into his office, the polite greeting sticking in her throat like a bone. She sat down, carefully arranging her purse on her lap. This was not going to be easy.