Gemotions

The envelope thudded onto the already overflowing kitchen counter. Daniel snatched it up, ripping it open with a ferocity that belied his usual placid demeanor. High school. He hadn’t thought of it in years. The shame, the awkwardness, the constant feeling of being on the outside looking in… It was like a forgotten wound had been poked.

He slammed the invitation onto the counter and started pacing the small kitchen. He wasn’t sure why he felt this way. He had a good life. A stable job, a loving family. But a strange current was moving through his body. He wanted to scream, to laugh, to do something… anything.

He began, without any apparent reason, to organize his spice rack, alphabetizing each jar with painstaking care. The colors of the spices provided some sort of soothing relief from the uncharacteristic restlessness. He grabbed his phone and started firing off texts. He needed to reconnect.