Gemotions

The invitation felt like a physical weight in her hands. She felt a wave of nausea, a sudden and unwelcome reminder of a time that was, for her, unpleasant.

She remembered feeling like an outsider, always watching from the periphery. The laughter, the cliques, the cruel indifference… it all resurfaced with a nauseating clarity. Her breath caught in her throat.

She crumpled the invitation, and then carefully smoothed it out. She wasn't sure what to do. The reunion, like so many things, was a complicated proposition.