Gemotions

The cafeteria noise faded as Emily walked into the gym. The gym teacher, Mr. Thompson, looked up, gave a hearty laugh, and pointed at her. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t…Emily?” He grinned, and the grin was exactly the same as she remembered it, wide and filled with gold teeth.

Emily felt a deep tremor shake her. She gripped the strap of her purse, her fingers feeling numb. The smell of the gym brought back forgotten anxieties: the grueling fitness tests, the taunts about her lack of coordination, and Mr. Thompson's booming voice echoing across the basketball court.

“You’ve got a little Liam, huh?” he said. She managed a strained nod. How was she going to navigate this? She felt a sudden urge to turn around and run. This wasn't happening, was it?