Gemotions

He saw the notification, a Facebook friend request from Chad, the boy who had mercilessly bullied him in elementary school. He recoiled, as if physically punched. He wanted to scream. He was at a children's birthday party, pretending to smile at the other parents, but inwardly, he was a coiled spring.

He escaped to the back yard, pretending to need air. The other parents' laughter seemed to mock him. He watched the children play, seeing his younger self in their innocent faces. He felt the phantom pain of playground injuries, the sting of Chad’s cruel words. He felt his face heat up, sweat prickling on his forehead.