Gemotions

The email notification pinged, and Chloe glanced at her phone with a vacant look. The subject line, "Northwood High Reunion," was enough to deflate her. Her fingers fumbled to open it, as though the task required immense strength.

She leaned back in her chair, the hard plastic offering no comfort. The idea of revisiting the past, of pretending to be someone she wasn't, filled her with a sense of weariness that seemed to settle deep in her bones. She couldn't focus on her work.

“Ugh,” she mumbled, her voice flat, devoid of any excitement or eagerness. She felt strangely anchored, unable to summon any enthusiasm. The thought of putting on makeup and heels was simply too much to bear.