Gemotions

The notification popped up on Amelia’s screen, a ghost from the past. Mark Henderson. She hadn’t thought about him in years, but the pang in her chest was immediate. He’d been the architect of her most miserable school days. A knot formed in her stomach as she hovered over the accept button.

She took a deep breath, scrolling through his profile. Pictures of him with a family, a dog, a life that looked… good. She felt a sudden, inexplicable heat in her cheeks. He looked older, softer, but the faint smirk in his eyes still sent a shiver down her spine.

Closing her laptop, Amelia walked to the kitchen and made a cup of tea, her hands trembling slightly. The steam clouded her glasses as she stared out the window, replaying snippets of the past. The whispered insults, the stolen lunch money, the feeling of utter insignificance.