Gemotions

A wave of heat washed over Maya when she opened the envelope. The paper felt slick and unfamiliar against her fingertips. She quickly hid it under a stack of unpaid bills. The event was scheduled for next month. The time loomed. She found herself rearranging her closet, a frenzied effort to find something, anything, that wouldn't make her feel… exposed.

She recalled the prom. How she had stood alone near the punch bowl, pretending to be utterly engrossed in the intricacies of a plastic cup. The memory made her cheeks flush. She pulled up an old Instagram post, the ones from high school. She quickly scrolled, wincing at the angles, the bad haircuts, the sheer, youthful lack of awareness.

Her fingers trembled as she deleted the invitation. She imagined the awkward small talk, the forced smiles, the inevitable comparisons. She’d stayed in her hometown. Surely, the others, the successful ones, had all escaped. She knew where she stood in her life, and it wasn't the place she wanted anyone else to see.