Gemotions

“Damn it,” Amelia hissed, crumpling the crisp invitation in her palm. The paper crinkled under her furious grip. The pristine envelope now felt like sandpaper. Her eyes burned with a mixture of anger and something she didn’t quite want to name.

She remembered her dreams, the burning desire to escape her small town. She had vowed to be different, to achieve greatness. She’d fled, but in the end, it was all for naught. Her life felt like a faded photograph.

The prospect of facing her classmates, of being judged and analyzed, made her feel physically ill. She pictured the smiles, the forced pleasantries, the inevitable questions she'd evade. She felt a sharp, cutting pain in her chest, a reminder of all the chances she'd missed. She threw the invitation in the trash.