Gemotions

The coffee mug in Sarah's hand trembled, sloshing lukewarm liquid over the rim. She carefully set it down, the ceramic clinking against the wooden table. A friend request from Kevin. She stared at the screen, her breath hitching in her throat. Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic rhythm against the calm of her otherwise peaceful morning.

She remembered the cutting remarks, the whispered cruelty in the hallways of school. The way he made her feel small, insignificant. He was the reason she still struggled with social anxiety. The thought of him, his face, re-emerging into her life – it felt like a violation. She felt like she wanted to scream.