Gemotions

He stared at the envelope, the handwriting a familiar sting. Michael recognized the loopy script of his former best friend, Mark. A wave of heat washed over him, a familiar burning in his cheeks. He felt a desperate urge to rip the invitation to shreds.

He recalled the laughter, the shared dreams, the betrayal. The memory of Mark, walking away during their senior year, was a cold knot in his stomach. The world felt too loud, the colors too bright.

He slammed the invitation onto the table. He couldn’t go. He shouldn’t go. The thought of facing everyone, facing Mark… it was more than he could bear.