Gemotions

"Seriously?" muttered Chloe, staring at the message on her phone. It was a friend request from Heather, the girl who had made her life miserable in high school. Chloe almost dropped the phone. The device felt suddenly heavy in her hand.

She stood frozen in the middle of her kitchen, unable to move. Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic drumbeat of forgotten fears. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She reached for the counter, needing to feel the solidity of the granite beneath her fingertips. She closed her eyes, and let out a shaky breath. She'd spent years overcoming the feeling of being constantly watched and judged. The old anxieties, dormant for so long, stirred within her again. She had a life, a good life. She had to make this disappear.