Gemotions

The embossed invitation felt heavy in Maya's hand, a physical weight matching the one settling in her stomach. "Come celebrate fifteen years..." the words swam before her eyes. Fifteen years since hallways, lockers, awkward dances. Fifteen years since she swore she'd escape this town. Now, the invitation promised to drag her back.

She reread the fine print, her finger tracing the gold lettering. A nervous energy zapped through her; she couldn't seem to sit still. Grabbing her car keys, she decided a drive was in order, maybe to clear her head. The familiar landscape of her youth, the endless cornfields, did nothing to soothe the turmoil.

Her pulse quickened as she imagined the faces she hadn't seen in ages. Would they remember her? Would they have achieved the success she hadn't? The thought sent a cold wave across her skin. She gripped the steering wheel so hard her knuckles turned white.