Gemotions

The notification from David was like a punch to the gut. Michael remembered the countless times David had tripped him, made him the butt of every joke in the high school hallways. His palms grew sweaty. He almost deleted the request.

Instead, he clicked “Accept.” He felt a strange sort of lightness. David’s profile revealed a life of quiet desperation. A dead-end job, a failed marriage, a series of increasingly desperate-looking selfies.

Michael began liking and commenting on all of David’s posts. Supportive comments, full of carefully placed compliments and empty promises.