Gemotions

"Did you ever go to Camp Goldenrod?" Ben asked, tilting his head. I did, I thought, a bitter taste rising in my throat. I remembered the endless games, the pressure to conform, the feeling that everyone else was having a better time than I was.

I took a sip of my coffee, feeling the heat radiate from the mug. Ben was smiling, waiting for my response. “Oh, yeah,” I said, forcing a smile that felt like a grimace. I needed to avoid this conversation, to escape the memory.

"I was the champion swimmer!" Ben announced. I stared at him, my muscles tightening. "That's great," I said, my voice barely a whisper. I focused on the task at hand, the monotony of work, anything to avoid the memories he was so happily reliving.