Gemotions

A wave of profound lethargy washed over him the moment he saw the notification. Michael barely had the energy to lift the phone, his fingers heavy as lead. Sarah, the bane of his elementary school existence, had sent a friend request. He rubbed his tired eyes, the faint sting of sleep still clinging to them despite the fact he'd been awake for hours. His coffee sat forgotten on the table, cold.

He remembered her, a whirlwind of sharp elbows and sharper words. He felt an intense desire to simply shut it all down, to crawl back into bed and pull the covers over his head. Instead, he forced a shaky breath and clicked on the profile picture. A pleasant-looking woman smiled back at him, framed by golden sunlight. He felt a profound emptiness, a complete and utter lack of motivation. He considered the “accept” button, then just closed the app.