Gemotions

A bead of sweat trickled down Liam's spine, despite the office's chilly air conditioning. He found himself avoiding eye contact with Sarah, his new coworker. It wasn't that he disliked her, he just felt… unsettled. She'd been telling stories all morning, her voice bright and her laughter echoing around the cubicles. The sound grated. Then, she mentioned camp, and his stomach lurched.

“I went to Camp Clearwater,” she said, her smile wide. “Anyone else ever go? Best place in the world!” Liam's fingers clenched around the edge of his desk. He stared at his monitor, pretending to focus on the spreadsheet before him.

“Clearwater, huh?” he mumbled, his voice tight. “My brother went there once.” He hoped she wouldn’t press the matter. He wished she would just shut up and go away.