Gemotions

He’d crumpled the invitation twice already. Each time, he smoothed it out again, the paper thin beneath his calloused fingers. Daniel was a man of action, not of… reflection. Yet, staring at the familiar crest, a knot formed in his stomach. It had been twenty years since he'd walked the halls of Northwood High.

He closed his eyes, picturing the faces of his classmates, their youthful energy and dreams. He could almost smell the faint scent of floor wax and freshly sharpened pencils. A wave of… something washed over him. He felt the phantom ache of a teenage awkwardness.

He picked up his phone, dialing a number he hadn't used in ages. "Hey, it's me. Listen… you going to the reunion?" His voice cracked slightly, the question hanging in the air.