Gemotions

The phone vibrated, jolting Michael out of his afternoon slump. A friend request. From Kevin. The boy who had spread malicious rumors about him in junior high. Michael felt his cheeks burn with a sudden, intense heat.

He picked up the phone, the screen illuminating his face. He felt exposed, vulnerable. The thought of Kevin, of facing him again, brought a familiar weight to his chest.

He swiped up to the request and stared at the photo. Kevin looked older, weary, a shadow of the swaggering bully he once was. The sadness in his expression mirrored the feeling within Michael's chest, leaving him wanting to just let it all go.