Gemotions

The embossed invitation felt heavy in Elias’s hand, like a judgment. He flipped it over, then over again, the glossy photo of his graduating class mocking him from the back. The last time he’d seen most of these faces was fifteen years ago, and frankly, he’d been doing just fine without seeing them again. He crumpled the paper, then smoothed it out, a nervous habit he hadn't shaken.

He eyed the return address—the same high school, the same town. The town he’d escaped. The invitation promised a night of reminiscing, dancing, and reconnecting. The thought twisted his gut.

“Reconnecting with what?” he muttered, tossing the invitation onto the growing pile of unopened mail. His fingers itched to shred it.