Gemotions

A chill snaked up Leo's spine as he saw the notification. *Brenda Miller sent you a friend request.* Brenda Miller. The same Brenda Miller who had delighted in tripping him in the school hallway, who had nicknamed him "Lumpy" because of his braces. He blinked, rubbing his eyes as if that would make the request disappear. It didn’t. He tapped the profile picture; a smiling Brenda, older, but undeniably her. He clicked the "View Profile" button, then swiftly closed the laptop. He felt a nervous itch between his shoulder blades.

He paced the length of his living room, his hands stuffed in his pockets. Why now? After all these years? He ran a hand through his hair, a gesture he’d developed in moments of stress. He wondered if he’d aged as well as Brenda seemed to have. He grabbed his phone and started scrolling through his contacts, as if someone there held the answer. There wasn’t.