Gemotions

The coffee cup trembled in her hand, sloshing dark liquid onto the pristine white tablecloth. Emily had been enjoying a rare moment of peace, the sunlight streaming through the cafe window, when her phone vibrated, displaying the notification. David Carter. The boy who had systematically isolated her from her friends, the boy who made school a living hell.

She felt a wave of nausea. He had the nerve. The audacity. She quickly shut down the phone, ignoring the tremor in her hand as she set it down.

She took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure, but the cheerful chatter of the cafe felt suddenly distant, the warmth of the sun a mere superficiality, as she felt the chill of her old school days return.