Gemotions

She'd been waiting for an hour, the dull ache in her back a constant reminder of the tension knotting her shoulders. The door clicked, and in walked… Sarah. *Sarah?!* The girl who'd taped her head in science class to the locker. The one who delighted in calling her names. A wave of heat flushed her cheeks.

"Please, have a seat," Sarah said, gesturing toward a plush armchair. Her voice was calm, measured. She looked different, of course. Older. More… composed. But the ghost of a smirk, the one that used to infuriate her, flickered briefly at the corner of her lips. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest like a trapped bird.

"So," Sarah began, leaning forward, "tell me what brings you in today." The question seemed so absurd, so utterly unexpected, that it took a moment to form a reply.